Simply Bewitching
This lovingly restored 19th Century stone house, full of traditional and quirky Irish artefacts and with luxurious attention to detail, sits in extensive mature grounds and has an astounding view over the beautiful blue-flag beach of Culdaff.
Wild, windy and rugged, Inishowen is the most northerly part of Ireland – a hauntingly beautiful wilderness, still, within a stone’s throw of the buzzing attractions of our Northern Ireland neighbours.
At a Glance
Sleep up to 7 guests
One double bedroom – ensuite
Two twin and one single bedrooms
Family bathroom
Sitting room
Dining room
Family kItchen
Annex – Games room
Utility outbuilding
Concealed TV
WiFi internet
Good Cell phone reception
Open Fire place
Wood stove
Central heating
Patio
Ocean views
High season Weekly only: Saturday to Saturday
Midweek: Monday to Friday
Children over 12 are welcome
Well behaved pets are permitted
Property Features
No Place Like Home
At the centre of the house, in what was the original structure, is a lofty, terracotta dining room. It retains much of the original cooking hearth complete with swinging pot crane and various cooking irons from a long-gone era.
A wonderful communal room for the evenings, with an oak table and seating for eight.
A step down from the dining room is an amply appointed kitchen. Colourful, contemporary, and of eclectic design, it’s also an ideal breakfast room.
The latched doors, liscannor flagstone floor and small square curtained windows, preserve the Irish heritage evident throughout the home. Preparation surfaces are stainless steel, with a tall fridge concealed behind lofty press doors.
In contrast, the sitting room appended to the opposite end of the house, is filled with light from the south facing windows that line one side, all the while framing that striking vista of Culdaff beach and the headland beyond.
There is a door from here directly onto the front driveway – a handy entrance. Mustard in colour, and furnished with deeply comfortable sofas and a woodburning stove, the room also has French doors opening onto a stone flagged patio, for those special barbecue days.
Bedrooms
Sleeps up to 7 guests.
The master bedroom is of generous size and bookends the kitchen end of the house. The ensuite features a commodious walk-in wet room shower. At its centre, an archetypal wrought iron and brass knob bedstead overlooked by a brooding of bird pictures.
Directly off the dining room, there is a whimsical box bedroom paneled in a pale watery teal with views to the beach. The snug, cabin bed is as cosy as it is unique.
Off the passageway that threads through the house, a steeply meandering stairway leads to a long loft bedroom, furnished with a pair of traditional iron beds.
Timber sheeted and long, a charming feature is the novel interior window that overlooks the dining room.
There is a delightful bedroom in soft terracotta, with twin wrought iron and brass bedsteads and a duo of windows accessed from the central passageway.
The spacious family bathroom, also off the passageway, has a quirky bath dressed in rusticated stone tiles, a wet-room style walk-in shower and classic vintage sink.
Outside
The accomplished stonework of the house extends to the Rapunzel-tower entrance columns. An expansive banked lawn falls away to a heavily shrubbed woodland in the front, where the stunning Culdaff beach view is the hero. Out-buildings at the rear have been re-purposed to serve as a utility room, with an unexpected spacious games room above.
Facilities
Kitchen Appliances
- 4 Ring gas hob
- Twin electric Oven
- Fridge-freezer
- Dishwasher
- Twin Toaster
- Microwave
Utility Appliances
- Washing machine
- Tumble dryer
- Iron
Bedrooms
- Sizes – One double bed, four single beds
- Cabin bed
- Hairdryer
Tech & Entertainment
- Wi-Fi Internet
- Concealed TV in sitting room
- CD stereo player
Other
- Good selection of books
- Table tennis table
- Foosball table
- Some board games & music cds
Our Highlights of this Home
Out and About
Not only is Inishowen a fascinating and historical peninsula, with endless, empty sandy beaches and great golf, but for food and music it is unrivalled…
Things to do
- Visit Doagh famine history museum
- Trad music at Lily’s
- Play on Irelands finest Golf links complex
- Go cycling around the peninsula
- Try some rock climbing
- Enjoy fresh Fish and Chips at the Rusty Nail
- Chowder at Nancys Barn
- Get into some Donegal Tweed
- McGrorys backroom bar for the music
- Scuba Dive around wrecks
- A Bistro in the walls of Derry
- Trek a pony along the beach
- Sea Safari nature tours
- Check out all the beaches
- Walk with an Alpaca if you like
- Charter a yacht for the day
- Do some Horse hacking
The Locality
Wild Atlantic Way
On the way you will drive through Culdaff, which is the nearest village to the house. It has 3 pubs, a restaurant and a coffee shop. Impossible to ignore is the magnificent Culdaff beach which the cottage looks out onto. Lifeguards are on duty in the summer months making it brilliant for swimmers and surfers. The eastern end has rocky coves and a children’s play area.
Boats may be chartered at Bunagee Pier, just down from the house – very popular with anglers and dolphin watchers alike.
Cardonagh and Inishowen
The market town of Cardonagh – 15 minutes by car – is where you will find a more comprehensive selection of shops, pubs and cafes; see also the famous 7th century St. Patricks Cross.
Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland, and is the starting (or ending) point of the Wild Atlantic Way. Far enough north, and with very little light pollution, you may catch occasional glimpses of the plasma light show that is the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. There are several websites that do forecasts of when views can be expected.
ust a 25-minute drive northwards is Banba’s Crown – the tip of Malin Head and the most northerly point of mainland Ireland. It is statistically the sunniest part of Ireland and also the windiest. Parts of the Star Wars movies were filmed in this other-worldly landscape.
There is said to be the highest concentration of shipwrecks in the world off the headland, which attracts both divers and fishermen alike. The German U-boat fleet was scuttled here at the end of World War II. A short ramble from the car park is a deep and narrow subterranean cavern known as Hells Hole.
Inishowen has many historical monuments, dating back to early settlements, including the ruins of several castles, and the circular 7th century dry-stone fort at Grianán Aileach, which is probably the best known. Built some 250m above sea level, it is a windy and exposed place with breathtaking views. The 5m high walls consist of three terraces and accommodation was provided by wooden structures built against them.
Buncrana
Buncrana, half an hour away the second most populous town in County Donegal, after Letterkenny, and the largest in Inishowen. the historic home of the O’Doherty clan, and a major centre for the textile industry in County Donegal. The town is well known for its live music pubs. The renowned Fruit of the Loom clothing plant was a large source of employment in the town before it moved its operations overseas in 2006.
Golf Vacations are extremely popular in Donegal with its many fine courses. The most famous is Ballyliffin Golf Club, home to 2 championship 18-hole courses and just 20 minutes away.
Trawbreaga Bay
10 minutes west from the house brings you to the inlet that is Trawbreaga Bay.
This is a Wildlife Sanctuary which is an important landfall for migrating geese and other birds.
At the narrow mouth of the bay is the fine sandy beach known as Five Fingers Strand. It is backed by ancient sand dunes which are amongst the highest in Europe – some reaching 30 metres high all held together by tough marram grass that prevents wind erosion.
The wonderful Kinnagoe Beach is a short trip south from the house, and it is here that in 1588 the Spanish Armada ship ‘La Trinidad Valencera’ was wrecked and lay undiscovered until 1971.
The peninsula is renowned for its traditional musicians and singers, so it will be difficult to avoid coming across a session in one of the pubs or hotels of an evening.

Derry City
Derry City, the second largest in Northern Ireland after Belfast, is under an hour away by car. Built in the early 1600’s, it is the only surviving example of a complete walled city in Ireland, and one of the finest in Europe.It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges and has a complex and troubled history.
Visiting The North of Ireland in the summer months you can avoid Derry altogether and save yourself a good half an hour by using the Lough Foyle Car ferry
The Inishowen 100 tourist route is an approximately 100-mile signposted scenic drive around the peninsula. Here is a link to illustrate what you can expect in more detail.
Cycling is extremely popular in County Donegal, and the annual Inishowen 100 attracts hundreds of entrants every August.

How to get there
By Air: Flights to Dublin, Belfast or Donegal airports.
Belfast Airport – is about 2 hours away
Donegal Airport – is also about 2 hours away
Dublin Airport – just under 4 hours from the house
By Sea: Ferry crossings
Belfast Port is just over 2 hours away with ferries to Liverpool and Scotland
Dublin City Port/Holyhead has a fast crossing and is just over 4 hours from the house
Rosslare Harbour for Ferries to South Wales is just under 6 hours from the house.
Pricing Options
Months | Per Week | Midweek |
October to May | €2,000 | €1,600 |
June to September | €2,500 | Not Available |
This Home is normally only let by the week, except as follows:
Mid-Week bookings run from Monday PM till Friday AM – 4 nights
Weekend breaks are not currently available
Important – A Week’s booking runs from Saturday to Saturday
A refundable breakages deposit payable with the rental amount will be refunded within seven days of departure.
2023 Holiday Break |
Dates |
Price |
Easter Weekend | Friday 7th April to Monday 10th April | €2,500 |
Halloween | Friday 27th October to Wednesday 1st November | €2,500 |
Christmas Break | Saturday 23rd to Thursday 28th December | €2,500 |
New Year Break | Saturday 30th to Tuesday 2nd January | €2,500 |
Price starts from
€1,600 per week
Book This Home
Step 1: Select your date.
M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 |
“We really had a lovely time. I would highly recommend this property to holiday makers. “
Read more…
I would highly recommend this property to holiday makers. Sally was the perfect hostess and the standard in the house was very high with lots of really nice additional touches to improve the quality of our stay.
The house could not be better located and the walk from the house along the Cliffs of Moher was the highlight of our holiday. Well done on providing such high quality properties for families looking to holiday in Ireland.
Eileen Roberts
Stayed at Castle View House
“Highly recommended. We will surely come back and bring all my family and friends.”
Read more…
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.
Jane Doe
Dublin Manor
“Our stay at Cove Lodge was, in a word, spectacular!”
Read more…
Everything about Simon and Jane and their wonderful property is worthy of every superlative I might find in the dictionary. I cannot think of a single thing we would have needed or wanted that wasn’t provided. It was our most wonderfully memorable holiday ever.
Many thanks to you for the clear communication and seamless arrangements. With much appreciation,
Susan Baker
July 2017, Stayed at Cove Lodge
Frequently Asked Questions
- Please note all booking requests are subject to 24 hour approval.
- Once your provisional booking has been placed, the UIH team will verify it, answer any specific queries you may have, and request a deposit to lock in your dates.
- Please note if your provisional booking is not confirmed and the deposit paid within 3 days it will expire.
- If your preferred dates are not available, click here to review alternate options.
- For additional information please contact us on +353 85 860 0027