Dolphins Cove

It may be pushing it a bit to call this comfortable home a cottage given its spacious interior and premium furnishings.

Most of the front aspect is allocated to a lofty sitting room, its double-height dramatized by an imposing gas fireplace safely sunk into polished black granite, and an overhanging balcony linking the upstairs accommodation.

A broad canted window pushes out into the spectacular views of Inisturk and Clare Island to the North.

Glimpses of the kitchen through a neighbourly hatch compete with gilt framed oils of Connemara landscapes and portraiture.

Walking around the free-standing stack reveals a dedicated TV den, compactly furnished in leather and La-Z-Boy recliners.

Running parallel to the sitting room, but away from the views, is a splendid and sophisticated kitchen. At its centre, is the darling of the slow food community, a four oven Aga range.

There is also a tall American fridge freezer with drinking water on tap, and a ceramic Belfast drainer-sink cleverly located right in front of that aperture to the living room view. An additional four ring gas hob can be found in the adjacent pantry.

A convenient four seater drop-leaf breakfast table is placed at the far end, where the kitchen joins the TV den, completing this semi open-plan arrangement.

The expansive living room, annexed to the rear through a pair of semi-glazed doors, exploits floor to ceiling windows and a large roof-light to give a brilliant conservatory ambience. An eight seater dining table across one end, together with plushly upholstered chairs, caters for full family dining – but there are also French doors opening onto sheltered patio for aperitifs or a barbecue.

The contemporary letterbox inset gas fire, and generous flat screen TV, make the room a busy hub. A spread of windows scope out the sparkling bay, and with its own door to the garden, there is a degree of autonomy to this end of the cottage.

In the loft upstairs, an open balcony overlooking the sitting room, links a double bedroom and bathroom at one end, to a pair of double bedrooms at the other. All bedrooms have flat screen TVs with Apple TV service.

As the house was designed for family use, access to one is through the other, via a magnificent shared shower-room with twin basins.
They both have sumptuous mahogany beds, and flat screen TVs to compete with the unique views.

Linking off the entrance lobby, is the utility room and pantry to the rear, a generous guest’s bathroom, and by way of an un-used dressing room, the generous ground floor master bedroom.

Kitchen Appliances

• Gas Aga range with 4 ovens, 2 hotplates + griddle
• plus 4 ring gas hob in utility room
• Two door American Fridge-freezer, with water dispenser
• Dishwasher
• Microwave
• Quad Toaster
• Filtered water tap

Utility Appliances

• Washing machine
• Tumble dryer
• Iron
• Sheet press

Bedrooms

• Sizes – Four King-size (USA Queen) beds
• 2 Hairdryers
• 800 thread Egyptian linen

Tech & Entertainment

• Wi-Fi Internet – Fibre optic
• Home pod and Amazon Alexa
• Blue-tooth speakers
• 5 Flat-screen TVs
• Sky sports and Netflix
• DVD player
• CCTV

Other

• Good selection of books
• Gas Barbecue

The cottage is set into a sloping bank that falls away into the ocean. Although there is no direct access to the sea at this point, there are three pristine beaches within an 8 minute drive of the house. A whimsical set of almost theatre seats on the front lawn capitalize on the spectacular views of the exposed Atlantic coastline.

• Try your hand at Fly fishing
• Dive on a wreck
• Enjoy a pint at Paddy Coyne’s pub
• Bathe yourself in healing Seaweed
• Dine in style in Rosleague Manor
• Trek a pony to Omey
• Walk the walled gardens of Kylemore
• Cross the strand at low tide to Omey Island
• Hire an ebike in Clifden

• Cycle through the Inagh Valley
• A fish supper at Mitchells
• Day trip to Inishbofin
• Learn to shoot with Shane
• A good walk up Diamond Hill
• Swim the clear blue waters of Glassilaun Beach
• Play a round at the Golf Links
• Catch something serious in the Ocean

The Connemara National Park is nearby, and not to be missed.

The nearest town is Tullycross – 3 mins by car or 20 on foot, with a couple of good music and food pubs, and garage/shop. Christ the King Church at Tully Cross has three stained glass windows by renowned Art Nouveau illustrator Harry Clarke.

The Connemara Mussel Festival is held here annually on the May Bank Holiday weekend with plenty of activities, music and of course mussels!

A drive or cycle around the deeply indented coastline reveals many beaches of staggering beauty, and some of golden coral. You will also discover quirky little fishing harbours, sanctuary from the huge Atlantic swells. Renvyle beach 5km away is the nearest accessible.

Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht region is here in Connemara where the Irish language (Gaeilge) is the everyday spoken language.

The area is dominated by the majestic Twelve Bens (or Pins), a series of craggy mountains in Connemara National Park that are a magnet to the serious hill walker. Diamond Hill, which is very close to the house, is a good starter for the amateur.

The Connemara 100 Mile Ultra Marathon, occurs in mid-August every year. This year the winner did it in just under 16 hours – 6.35 miles an hour!

The beautiful Killary Harbour is about 16km long, extremely deep and is Ireland’s only true fjord. A “U” shaped valley, it was carved by a glacier during the last ice age. It is a centre for shellfish farming, and strings of ropes used to grow mussels are visible for much of its length.

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Inishbofin (White Cow) Island lies just 11km off the coast, and can be reached two or three times a day by ferry from Cleggan, only 10km away from the house. As well as birdwatchers and scuba divers, Bofin is an important centre for traditional Irish music and song.

It is estimated that Inishbofin was inhabited as far back as 8000 – 4000 B.C. Passing the signal light into the harbour you will notice Cromwell’s 16th Century Barracks. It was used as a prison for catholic priests from all over the country after the English Statute of 1585 declared them guilty of high treason.

Originally built as a Castle in the mid 19th century, Kylemore Abbey became home to a community of Benedictine Nuns in 1920 and was run as a girl’s school from until 2010, primarily for boarders. Today it is open to the public. Its Victorian walled gardens and woodland walks make it one of the region’s most popular attractions.