Garafin House
Memories are made of this...
Book this homeCounty Galway
At the tip of the Rosmuc peninsula is a big house with a busy history.
Sitting on two acres, with a mile of private rocky shoreline to discover, Garafin House is the consummate luxury holiday retreat from which to explore wild and rocky Southern Connemara.
A profusion of islands confuse the horizon to the south, the Twelve Ben mountains beckon to the north, and warm fires await inside…
A heritage home restored
A long driveway leads through partially wooded parkland to this charming Period residence set in a striking and tranquil coastal setting.
Prior to 1980 Garafin House, together with its extensive outbuildings had served the local community for over 150 years as a general store, famine relief centre, Surgery, Court House, and travel agents.
The original house built in the 1750’s was somewhat different and probably resembled a long cottage. It remains in the family to this day, albeit in a much altered and more comfortable incarnation.
RAT A GLANCE
- Sleeps
Up to 10 guests
From €3,000 per week - Bedrooms
Four Double Bedrooms- three ensuite
One twin bedroom
Family bathroom with shower - Other Rooms
Kitchen with Breakfast Table
Larder, Porch,
Entrance Hall with Guest W/C
Utility Room and Boot Room - Contempo
Dog Friendly
Two Super King Beds
Logs & Turf
Barbecue
DSL Internet w/ Wi-Fi
Two Wet Suits
Basic Fishing Tackle
A grand multi-light doorway occupies the enduring castellated entrance in the elbow of this angular layout.
The lobby opens onto an L-shaped tiled hallway – Left runs to the large drawing room.
This radiant room features an elegant antique marble fireplace facing a broad catty-corner bay window with views across to the islands.
Much of the original house has been modified across the centuries, and much remains, such as sash windows with flush wooden panel shutters.
The plain white walls are thick and the ceilings high.
Oak boards with under-floor heating now replace the original.
The magnificent encaustic coloured tiles typical of the period, are hardly worn.
Two classic English Arm sofas, create an informal divide to the study area with TV.
A mixture of antique and contemporary furniture, Persian rugs and curios grace the home.
A second black marble fireplace confers a cosy atmosphere on the dining room at the opposite end of the hallway.
In the dining room, the extendable table will comfortably seat ten – long meals followed by long walks.
Adjoining the dining room is a generous modern kitchen, in pastel painted style.
Everything is here for some seriously creative cuisine – or simply breakfast together around the kitchen table.
The spacious back porch off the kitchen is very warm – perfect for drying coats and boots should you get caught in a Connemara shower.
There are two bedrooms off the hallway on the ground floor, with a third beyond the dining room.
All are ensuite – this one has half-paneled walls, original tiles, and a fine free standing roll-top bath.
The addition of a second storey to Garafin House is comparatively new and the upstairs reflects that. Here the styling is contemporary, with white floorboards, lime-washed tongue and groove ceilings, and velux windows.
A shared shower-room on this level is at the far end of adjoining double and twin bedrooms, requiring neighbourly compromise to pass.
Outside
A few steps across the yard is the utility, laundry and boot room.
The names of some of the outbuildings at the back of the house reflect their earlier employment – the local doctor held a weekly surgery in the Dispensary; the Courthouse hosted the quarterly Magistrate’s court. These are not part of the rental property.
The foreshore at the house is rocky, and in places covered in seaweed, but offers safe and current-free swimming. To the east of the house a lane runs down to a small public pier, where there is excellent swimming from half tide onwards.
In times gone by boats from here brought supplies from Galway, turf to the Aran Islands, distributed bread from the house bakery, and ferried cattle and sheep to and from the local islands.
Garafin House comes with access to about a mile of private foreshore, which you may wander at will. There are no paths, so the walking is quite rough in places. Look out for seals and otters – nature at its best.
Facilities
The house is equipped with everything you would expect from a five star home – from WiFi to barbeque, clothes dryer to microwave, books, games, videos ..
TV reception is terrestrial channels only.
There is Oil fired central heating, and logs and turf are supplied.
Crisp Egyptian cotton bed linen, feather duvets and pillows and soft cotton towels are provided in all the bedrooms. There are heated towel rails and wall heaters in the bathrooms.
Two of the rooms have super-King size beds that can be divided into twins, and all the bedrooms have ample storage space.
There are also a few wetsuits and a small supply of basic fishing tackle in the boot room.
Restrictions
Smoking – No, sorry!
Parties – The owners regret Stag, Hen, Wedding or 21st parties are not admissible.
Allergy Warning! Please note that this is a Dog Friendly Home. If you intend bringing a dog, please tell us about him/her when booking.
Provisional Booking Form
This Home is normally only let by the week, except as follows:
Low season only – Mid-week bookings run from Monday PM till Friday AM – 4 nights
Low season only – Weekend breaks run from Friday PM till Monday AM – 3 nights
Important – A Week’s booking runs from Saturday to Saturday.
Holidays’ Dates for 2023 are priced as following:
Easter Weekend 7th- 10th April 2023 –€2,750
Halloween 27th- 1st October 2023 – €2,750
Christmas 23rd to the 28th Dec 2023 – €2,750
New Years’ 30th December 2023 to the 2nd January 2024 – €2,750
Allergy Warning! Please note that this is a Dog Friendly Home.
If you intend bringing a dog, please advise below whether there will be more than one, and approximate size, as large dogs may need to be cleared by the owner.
A refundable breakages deposit of €350 is payable with the rental amount will be refunded within seven days of departure.
| Weekly | Weekend | Mid-Week | |
| May to September | €2,750 per week | not available | not available |
| October to April | €2,250 per week | €1,300 | €1,300 |
Select your Dates
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Your travel arrangements are important, so all provisional bookings are double checked with the owners to ensure that your plans do not conflict with theirs, this can take up to 24 hours, but we haven’t forgotten about you.!
Provisional bookings will be followed up by email, at which point we can answer specific queries you may have, verify your booking and request a deposit to confirm.
Please note that all unconfirmed provisional bookings will expire after 3 days.
If your preferred dates are not available, please click here to review all houses that match your dates.
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Reviews
Everything at the house was perfect…
We didn’t lack for anything. The house was beautifully appointed and Anne, the caretaker, was a delight and always available when needed. In addition, the owners went above and beyond the call of duty in supplying us with cots and high chairs for our grand babies.
We built fires every evening and enjoyed our walks on the property and the peace and tranquility of the Rosmuck Penninsula. We definitely will come back.
Thanks also to Unique Irish Home’s. You were great to work with. Please continue to expand your inventory of exceptional homes.
Alice Stockdale, September 2018
We were not disappointed in Garafin House…
I found the kitchen probably the best provided in any place we have rented and once I got used to the electric hob i really enjoyed cooking on it… We loved swimming off the pier and we got great enjoyment watching the mother wren feeding her babies in the nest in the Virginia creeper. The garden was an unexpected bonus, as was the high chair and ample parking space – thank you so much.
ffrench Davis family, July 2018
Your heading “Memories are made of this” never rang truer…
We had a wonderful time last week in Garafin House. Our family ages ranged from youngest at 10 years to two grannies, 87 years per granny, and we ALL had an amazing week and created lots of memories to cherish!! None of us wanted to leave!
The house is truly wonderful and is fitted out with everything you could imagine, cooking became a family affair, each night cooking up a storm, eating in the relaxing dining room and retiring to the beautiful, most comfortable living room for plenty of chat, games and a load of laughs!!
We even got the weather to sit out in the November sunshine with coffee whilst the house hugged us and protected us from the wind!! The area is truly beautiful and the people we met very friendly, Anne was lovely and it is a testament to the house that we had no need to contact her all week, proving how well equipped and comfortable the house is.
Garafin House had everything. The dogs also had a ball, with the great garden to the front and the walks in and around the pier and rocks. Thank you all in UIH for giving us the chance to holiday in this truly, wonderful home.
I love your webpage but find that a lot of the houses you feature don’t allow dogs. Whilst I understand it would not suit a lot of owners I would love to be able to click to an area which features the houses that do, it would save a lot of time having to check each individual property and checking the details before this becomes clear. Perhaps you could under the ENJOY section on your page add “Dog Heaven” (or similar name!!) and include those houses that are willing to let dogs stay. [ thanks Orla, we’ve done just that.]
Anyhow thank you again for a super website and I have sent a request to book Garafin for Easter – we loved it soooo much.
Orla, November 2016
While the rest of Ireland shivered and cowered from the rain, we toasted by the fires in Garafin…
This house is blessed and historic. In fact the history of the house and Conroy and related families was of great interest and new to us. We enjoyed being indoors looking out and exploring the outdoors thanks to the detailed and knowledgeable guide provided by the owners. Find those beaches (Ardmore, Kilkerrin etc) and you won’t be disappointed. Finally thanks to Anne for her help and advice.
Thornton family, Easter 2018
I can’t express how magical our time spent at Garafin House was.
We are a family who are living all over the world and last year we decided to gather somewhere special and spend Christmas together. Through Unique Irish Homes I found the perfect location and accommodation – Garafin House in Connemara.
We arrived a few days before Christmas from Australia, Boston and mum from Co Tyrone ❤️ Garafin House exceeded our expectations. It was not only beautiful but overlooked one of the most magnificent landscapes you could wish for…..we were met by Anne who welcomed us and even went to the effort of providing us with a spare Christmas tree and decorations from her own home.
We had a 5 year old with us and I’m glad to say, Santa Clause delivered to Connemara which was truly magical. The accommodation was spacious, welcoming, high quality and very homely. Everything was available for our use and the quality of the bed-linen etc. was of the highest quality.
Thank you Graham and all at Unique Irish Homes and a special thank you to Anne for her warm welcome. I would recommend Garafin House and Unique Irish Homes to anyone and I hope to return one day.
Lynda Emerson, January 2017
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Out & About
Connemara is quite simply one of Europe’s great treasures.
A wilderness on the Wild Atlantic Way, it is packed with almost deserted beaches of gin clear water, incredible lake and river fishing, and of course brilliant restaurants. We just can’t list them all, so here are a few of our favourites…
Here are some of our favourites…
- Go fish on Lough Corrib
- Bike around a mountain
- Gourmet banquet with a view
- Try your hand at fly fishing
- Order an oyster in O’Dowds
- Go for some Blue glass
- Swim the clear blue waters of Dogs Bay
- Play nine holes on Annaghavane island
- Catch something serious in the ocean
- Go pony trekking at the Manor
- Day trip to Inishmore
The Locality
The secluded Rosmuc peninsula finds itself in an inlet already crowded with islands on the northern stretches of Galway Bay.
The area is typical of the spectacularly broken Connemara coast, with dry stone walls and boggy fields, and big skies.
There are a few local cottages near the house, and a small shop 3 km away.
The nearest large supermarket is in Oughterard some 40 km away on the southern shores of Lough Corrib.
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.
Tra An Doilin at Carraroe is a Blue Flag beach made of very rare biogenic gravel resembling tiny pieces of coral. It’s half an hours drive away, with lifeguards, toilets, and great swimming.
Carraroe is today most important centre for traditional Galway Hooker fishing boats. Every August bank holiday, the town hosts the Galway hooker festival, one of the largest maritime festivals in the country.
The Aran Islands can be reached by ferry from Rossaveal which is just half an hour away by car.
The trip takes 40 minutes and you can bring a bike, or hire one there.
The spectacular semi circular stone fort of Dun Aengus which backs onto a 90 metre cliff is considered one of the most important pre-historic sites in Western Europe, and not to be missed. It is reckoned to be about 2,500 years old.
Click here to find out more…
A day out in Clifden, the capital of Connemara would be well rewarded.
Rosmuc is a Gaeltacht region, in fact the most strongly Irish-speaking area in the country.
Pádraig Pearse, who was involved in the 1916 revolution in Dublin had a cottage in Rosmuc where he wrote many of his pieces including his famous ” … the fools, the fools, the fools! …” oration.
With quantities of lakes and fast flowing rivers has been the Mecca of Trout and Salmon fly-fishing for nearly two centuries. There are numerous sites where a boats and ghillies can be hired. Copies of appropriate fishing guidebooks and brochures are held in the house.
Excellent sea angling charters can easily be arranged from Roundstone – where there are wonderful beaches for those who prefer to stay ashore!/p
Unique to the region, Connemara marble shows twisted and interlocking bands of soapstone, in various shades of light and dark green. It has been used over the centuries as a means of exchange, for features in stately buildings and is recognised for its beautiful colour and resilience, with no two pieces being similar.
A broad range of souvenirs and ornamental products are produced from the stone which is more than 500 million years old.
How to get there – Car essential..
By Air: Flights to Dublin or Shannon airports.
Shannon Airport – approx 2 and half hours from house.
Dublin Airport – approx 3 and half hours from house
By Sea: Ferry crossings
Dublin City Port/Holyhead has a fast crossing and is approx 4 hours from house.
Map
Gallery
