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Shannonvale Cottages

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  • Clonakilty
     Cork, Ireland
    +353 23 33729 Website
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atherts
atherts
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2 out of 5
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Shannonvale Cottages

  • April 29, 2006
  • Rated 2 of 5 by atherts from Portland, Oregon
Shannonvale Cottages

We drove down from Co. Clare and made it through Cork easily. Apart from a wrong turn and short detour, made it to the Shannonvale Cottages near Clonakilty after sunset. Seamus, our host, showed us the cottage. It was rustic, charming and full of "fine" Irish craftsmanship.
Apparently these were restored stables, except now they held people not horses. The walls were stone and morter, and the upstairs and ceiling all of wood. The wood was loosely fitted to the extent that you could clearly hear and sometimes see anything going on in any part of the cottage including the bathroom. This included both floors and walls. In fact it seemed to be all the same tongue and groove wood. Fortunately the roof seemed to be of sterner stuff and kept out the elements.
The toilet rested charmingly on a single bolt and rocked you gently while in use. Unless the shower door was shut just right, it precipitated on the person doing dishes a floor below. The stairs were narrow, steep and fairly solid up to at least 100 pounds of weight. We didn't manage to break anything or the stairs, but they flexed and creaked alarmingly. I observed that the Irish were master stoneworkers, but seemed to be confused when confronted by wood. Much of the wood appeared to be carved rather than cut, giving the appearance of being worked by a family of beavers.
The beds were a variety of soft to the point of mushy mattresses and an interesting contraption of wood and rope with a thin mattress atop. There was some closet space and dressers and nighttables of varying vintage.
The furniture downstairs ranged from farm style table and china cabinet to leather overstuffed chairs and couch. The TV had fuzzy reception of about 15 channels, unfortunately it was the same 3 repeated 5 times.
The kitchen facilities were adequate and the stove seemed to work fairly well. The refridgerator was a mini, but kept the food cold. There were a variety of silverware, dishes, mugs and glasses that needed a good wash before use.
Outside there was a stone courtyard with plastic table and chairs. Laundry facilities were available in another building.
Overall, the place was comfortable and adequate for a flexible family or younger people. It was a bit rustic for my wife's mother, and the steep stairs were a concern for her. As it was the end of the tourist season, we were the only guests, and saw little of our host and family except for mornings as the children went to school.

From journal Co. Cork

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