Skerrett Hall

The house is an intriguing mix of Georgian elegance, rustic vernacular farmhouse and striking modern design. The 15m high chimney stacks at either end of the house date from the late seventeenth century, whilst the rest of the historic fabric is largely eighteenth century.

A sturdy door in the granite framed entrance opens into the spacious hallway, with switchback stairs leading to the accommodation.

Polished black flagstones follow through to the large eclectic country kitchen, which is the heart of the house.

At its centre is a muscular table made from an ash tree felled in the garden, and a large and recently restored 80-year-old working range.

The house boasts fully restored interior woodwork, including an impressive, perfectly panelled reception room to the right of the entrance hall.

This room features a grand piano. A large wood-burning stove is set into the hearth at one end, while tall glazed double-doors open onto the rear garden.

Panel shutters frame the windows – deep enough for cushioned seats. The extensive programme of restoration and conservation recently culminated in the addition of a light-filled garden room at the rear of the house, where bi-fold doors embrace the back garden – a stunning design in glass and steel by internationally acclaimed architects McCullough Mulvin.

Sleeps up to 8 guests.

Before reaching the bedrooms, a roomy landing at the top of the stairs is home to a slightly exotic pipe organ for budding recitalists. There are four ensuite double bedrooms, differentiated by colour. Two of them have functioning fireplaces. The blue room has a seductive canopy bed and a quirky period style bathroom.

Kitchen Appliances

• Solid fuel range with 4 ovens
• Gas hob
• Electric Cooker
• Fridge
• 2 Freezers
• Dishwasher
• Toaster
• Coffee machine
• Microwave
• Blender
• Juicer
• 2 Slow cookers

Utility Appliances

• Washing machine
• Spin dryer
• Iron

Bedrooms

• 3 King-size beds and
• one Super King 180cm bed
• Hairdryer

Tech & Entertainment

• Wi-Fi Internet
• 3 Flat-screen TVs
• DVD player

Other

• Good selection of books & DVD movies
• Grand piano
• Home pipe organ
• Barbeque
• Herb garden

• A spot of culture at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre
• Oscar’s for some seafood
• Do a distillery tour
• Charter a boat on the lake
• Or just take a cruise
• Golf around Ashford Castle

• Michelin star dining in Galway City
• Visit the Quiet Man museum
• Hire out a fishing boat
• Visit the ruins of Ross Errilly Friary
• Play a spot of golf in Tuam
• Pony trekking in Cong

The house is about 35 minutes North West of Galway City, a secluded area that is one of the best kept secrets in Galway. The nearest village is Headford, just five minutes’ drive away, where you can find a supermarket, hotel, and several cosy pubs and restaurants.

The house was built by the Skerrett family – one of the famous tribes of Galway – and dates from the late seventeenth century, with many an addition along the way. Perhaps the most famous member of the family was Nicholas Skerrett, Archbishop of Tuam in the mid 1500s.

The townland is adjacent to Lough Corrib, the largest lake in the State, stretching Northwards for about 56 Kms from Galway City.

There are well over 300 islands to be explored on the lake. A stroll will bring you to one of several nearby unspoilt inlets, however the closest jetty is at Kilbeg Pier, 7 minutes’ drive away.

Lough Corrib is renowned for its stocks of salmon and wild brown trout. The salmon-fishing season opens on 1st February and the trout season on 15th February, and both end on 30th September.

Mayfly fishing on Corrib is legendary. From mid-May, and for a couple of weeks, the surface of the lake becomes alive with these winged insects and the trout love ‘em – the perfect opportunity to trick one of them onto your hook!

Boats and tackle are available for hire locally, but visitors are advised to employ a local guide or ghillie, at least on the first outing.

There are many prehistoric burial cairns, Iron Age stone enclosures, early Norman and later castles, and several monastic sites.

One of the most impressive surviving Franciscan friaries in Ireland, Ross Errilly is 10 mins North of the house near the border with County Mayo. Historians argue over the identity of its founder as well as its date, with 1460 the most likely.

The charming village of Cong lies at the top of Lough Corrib. This was the location for John Ford’s 1952 Oscar-winning film, The Quiet Man, which featured John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara and Barry Fitzgerald.

Filming was mostly done on the grounds of Ashford Castle, which has hardly changed since, and the village continues to attract movie tourists. The Castle is currently employed as an exclusive hotel with an outstanding international reputation, amazing service, exquisite dining, and a host of activities to indulge in.

Sir William Wilde built a country home in Cong inspiring his son Oscar Wilde to write about his experiences in South Mayo an area he frequently returned to throughout his life.