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A lovely, dreamy country house”
xxdfarre
Australia
Sep 22, 2008
In spite of the rain - incessant even for the West of Ireland - we loved Crocnaraw. As other reviewers have said, there is definitely an otherworldliness to the place and Lucy is the perfect owner/manager. Delicious home-made breakfasts and afternoon teas in front of the turf fire (in August and much needed). Lucy, like so many B&B owners, gives excellent recommendations on where to eat in the evening - and you dont have to go very far. And Clifden is only a short drive away, too. Even in the rain Connemara is still incredibly beautiful. May it never change.
Date of Stay: August 2008
“Tranquil charm”
GerrySussex
Sussex
Aug 23, 2008
This was just what we wanted an authentic Irish country house with peat fire and home made scones on arrival, delightful rooms with character, welcoming staff. Breakfasts are excellent all home made produce, and we found delicious evening meals in Letterfrack. No telly, no power showers, the overgrown garden was very appealing. Trip advisor member Sussex
Date of Stay: August 2008
“A charming Irish retreat”
lauraCumbria
cumbria
Nov 15, 2007
1/1 found this review helpful
If you are looking for a traditional Irish country house this is the one for you. Relaxing evenings by the peat fire, splendid breakfasts and delightful hostess. We felt very much at home and were made very welcome. Many thanks.
Date of Stay: October 2007
Blessed Peace and Quiet”
GGR1
Lancashire, England.
Aug 6, 2007
We were looking for total peace and quiet, complete relaxation. We found it, and more, at Crocnaraw. No, it didn't have instant, powerful hot water gushing out of all the taps; it didn't have television and tea-making facilities ( although it was there should we have wanted); it didn't have Microsoft singing and dancing all over the place. We didn't want any of that. What it did have was pure, unadulterated charm, care, comfort, warmth and kindness. We slept in a room overlooking a heavenly garden and beyond to the little Irish donkeys in their field. After a little of the Irish rain,we returned to a room warmed by a peat fire where we indulged in tea and scones whilst catching up on the adventures of Harry Potter. I lay in a bath with as much hot water as I could ask for, gazing into the woodland with not a soul in sight . ( Good job, you may say !) Breakfast could have been anything we wanted but the porridge, the fruits,the home-made Irish soda bread, the bacon, the jams just kept on getting better every morning. Lucy Fretwell and her helpers were the most professional, caring, calm and delightful people anyone could hope to meet. Further from the garden lay the other-worldly delights of Connemara. Mountains, golden swathes of empty beaches, sunshine, ponies, flowery hedgerows and, of course, the kindness of the Irish people themselves. It was perfect. we couldn't have asked for more. Thankyou to Lucy and everyone else and of course, the kittens.
From Glenys and Graham Rogers. Lancashire. England.
Date of Stay: July 2007
“Like the Curate's Egg - OK in Parts”
Horsham, UK
Apr 19, 2005
I'd booked accommodation by email, but when we arrived (finding the house by luck as there was no sign at the entrance to the drive) we had to ring the bell, shout and generally walk about for five minutes or more before someone eventuallycame out from the kitchen (we could see movement in the house when we were walking round the outside, trying to get a response). The woman who eventually emerged said she was not expecting anyone although I had exchanged emails with someone whom I believed to be her. So we had to tramp around the "award-winning gardens" (when? in 1986?) for half an hour or more while she got a room ready.
The room itself was rather shabby, having last been updated in about 1975 by the look of it. She very kindly gave us some tea and good home-made cake in the sitting room, which was embellished by some sort of creeping plant growing through the skirting board from the outside in several places. One of the upstairs windows was totally covered by this plant, making the landing somewhat gloomy.
Breakfasts were superb, though, and I recommend the stewed rhubarb, from the vegetable garden, with yogurt as well as the usual bacon and egg etc.
It was the most expensive of the bed-and-breakfasts we'd stayed at in the Republic of Ireland but the least value for money.
Date of Stay: May 2004
“house that can't be hurried.”
Connemara,Ireland
Nov 27, 2002
This place had an other worldliness before I learnt Crocnaraw meant 'hill of the fairy fort'. Perhaps it was the bizarre lampshades, a throwback to when Lucy's mother started B&B in the 1960s. Perhaps it was the bamboo wardrobe and sky-blue bathroom. Maybe it was the beautiful garden that hides this Georgian fishing lodge from view. Or maybe it was the untroubled, almost ethereal quality about Lucy that completely dismantled my plans for the day. I sat talking with her and a well-spoken gentleman in the timeworn Aga country kitchen for what seemed like ages.
This is a house that can't be hurried. The rooms are eclectic period pieces fossilised somewhere between the '60s and the '80s and are a lot of fun. The drawing room is lovely and airy, ideal to kick back in on a summer's day, while the warm snug with its turf fire would be just the place for a good book and a whiskey in winter. The wooden-floored dining room feels part teashop, part conservatory with lovely views of the garden planted by her
mother from scratch. Lucy looks after it today, decorating the house with fresh flowers. She also looks after four special donkeys that live in a field next door. Here the magic of Ireland is alive and well.
Crocnaraw Country House,Moyard,near Clifden, Galway,Ireland
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