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One approaches this property along a private driveway.  At the end of the drive, it is much as it was hundreds of years ago: a thatched farmhouse and adjacent stone barn, cottage gardens, a lovely green meadow, cows.  It's nice to pause a moment before entering the buildings, just to absorb the atmosphere.
 
The Thatched Farmhouse

Accommodates 5 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms The current owners inherited the property from Josie Madigan who lived there, with her two brothers, for 89 years.  Before that, Josie’s mother, and before that, Josie's grandmother, lived in this farmhouse.  The current owners have renovated the property with love, the skill of a craftsman, the eye of an artist and dedication to the spirit of Josie Madigan.

One enters through a Dutch door into the original keeping room, the space where all of a family's daily living occurred.  The original stone floors show the many years of living - and the ceile dancing that Josie hosted in the days before dance halls.  The walls are a warm yellow, “Irish yellow” we've come to call it.

The large inglenook fireplace still warms the room with a peat fire.  The little cubbyhole  to the left of the stove was always the place for the tea kettle and it still is.  Josie’s photograph hangs at the side of the fireplace along with the concertina that Josie’s mother played for the dancing.  The comfortable easy chair and settee are sympathetic to the room - just as it must have been in those early years.

At the back of the keeping room, there is a pine table that seats 6 comfortably.  A yellow dresser holds antique blue and white china.  A wall clock chimes the hour.  It is a peaceful and lovely room further enhanced by many beautiful watercolors painted by the owner, a gifted and well-known artist.

To the right of the keeping room is a little hall paved with black and brick-colored tiles.  It accesses the garden and patio that has wide views of the surrounding countryside.  Young horses romp in the adjacent meadow.

Through the hall, you enter the former parlor, now a lovely flower-filled double bedroom.  An antique iron and brass bed, a mirror-fronted armoire and the original fireplace, create a haven.  The en suite bathroom, with salmon walls and white wainscoting, has a shower.

Beyond the double bedroom is another bedroom that has a door.  The antique double bed is better used as a single.  The walls are papered in a small, pretty print.  An antique side table, lovely fabrics and the owner's watercolors make this a special space.

The kitchen is to the left of the keeping room.  Though it is not large, it is well designed, sophisticated and very attractive.

Painted that same buttery yellow, it has a Belfast sink, granite counters, timber floors, open shelves that display an array of very nice kitchen appointments.  There is highest-quality modern equipment including a dishwasher.

Beyond the kitchen is a large bedroom.  There are two beds which were once considered double beds.  They are a bit narrow for two people, but we leave it to you to decide.  Stylish fabrics, antiques, art and the lovely view from the windows all contribute to the room's beauty.  It's very terrific.

The en suite bathroom has a tub with hand-held shower.  The walls are wallpapered above white-painted wainscoting.  There is another door from the bathroom into the keeping room so that this bathroom can be accessed from the keeping room without going through the bedroom.

The Old Stone Barn Accommodates 4 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms The stone barn, dating  from the early 1600's, is truly gorgeous.  Once used for cows, the owners’ complete renovation has transformed it into a very Irish dwelling for humans.  Though modern inside, it evokes the original building.

Enter a blow-your-hair-back salmon-walled living room/dining room.  It has a fireplace, a white sofa, a big easy chair, a mix of contemporary and antique furniture and appointments and more of the owner's beautiful water colors.  The paintings here are more vivid than those in the farmhouse and they contribute to the room's grace and style.  The dining table seats 4-6.

The bedrooms are on opposite sides of the cottage.  To the right of the kitchen, a large bedroom has a king bed that can convert to twin beds, a dressing table, a large chest of drawers and a large window that looks onto the meadow.  The adjacent tiled bathroom is bright and cheery and has a large shower.

Attached to the farmhouse is a boot room/laundry room that has a washer/dryer, ironing facilities and a Belfast sink.  There is a fuel shed with turf and wood for the fireplaces. The Thatched Farmhouse and the Barn can be rented separately or together.  Although they are very close, they are at right angles to one another so that the individual gardens have privacy.  If they are rented together, the keeping room in the farmhouse is large enough to accommodate everyone for meals.  Children are warmly welcomed to this property.  Fire wood and peat are included in the rental.

The property is a 2-minute drive from the charming thatched village of Adare.  There are excellent restaurants, authentic pubs and very good shopping in Adare.  The renown Clonshire Equestrian & Polo Center is nearby.  There are several golf courses within minutes of the property including, in Adare, the Adare Manor Hotel golf course and the famous Old World course.  See horse racing at Greenmount (5 minutes) or visit local stud farms.  Fishing and shooting are available.  A traditional  bar and restaurant with  Irish music is right across the road from the driveway to the cottages.

Shannon Airport is 16 miles.  Limerick is 10 miles.  Galway is 65 miles.  Cork is 65 miles.  Killarney is 70 miles.  Dublin is 120 miles.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE:

This is an excellent property for travelers with mild to moderate mobility limitations.  There are no steps into the farmhouse or the barn and no steps inside.  There is one shower cubicle in the farmhouse and two in the barn.