By Margaret M. Johnson

The Gallyhead Lighthouse, with adjacent light keepers' houses, provides novel accommodation for visitors to this area of West Cork.
Gallyhead Lighthouse

The Gallyhead Lighthouse, with adjacent light keepers' houses, provides novel accommodation for visitors to this area of West Cork

The next time you visit Ireland, you might want to live like a king, try your hand at being a lighthouse keeper, or even fantasize about protecting your master's estate from your tiny gate lodge. Thanks to the Irish Landmark Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to Irish heritage, visitors can live out a dream while enjoying self-catering accommodations in unique, beautifully restored properties in both the Republic and in Northern Ireland.

The Trust was founded in 1992 to acquire and restore small vernacular properties of architectural merit. Following restoration, the Trust manages and markets them as rental accommodations, with proceeds generating funds for their ongoing maintenance and for acquisition of what the Trust calls "other good looking buildings in distress."

Though small in number, the founders represented a depth of experience and expertise in Irish architectural heritage and conservation, fund-raising, project management, and trusteeship. To date, the Trust has restored 15 properties from Antrim and Donegal to Wicklow and Cork, including two distinctive accommodations in the heart of Dublin that are reasonable and refreshing alternatives to pricey hotels. I visited a few of them recently and particularly enjoyed a slightly "haunted" stay in one.

NO. 25 EUSTACE STREET, Dublin

This property, which dates from the early 1700s, is one of a small number of houses of the period to survive in Dublin. Their characteristic features -- tall narrow proportions, a gable fronted cruciform roof construction, and paneled interiors -- all still survive in No. 25. There are no more than a handful of other such houses in the city, since most have been removed during the course of later alterations. This house forms an integral part of the streetscape of Temple Bar, one of the hippest parts of contemporary Dublin. The Eustace Street house sleeps seven.

MEWS OF NO. 63 MERRION SQUARE, Dublin

The mews building at the rear of No. 63 Merrion Square is an integral part of one of the most significant survivals of an 18th-century Dublin townhouse. It sits on Fitzwilliam Lane in the classic Fitzwilliam/Merrion Square area, one of the most prestigious in the city. The Mews is only steps away from the National Gallery, National Museum, Trinity College, and pedestrian Grafton Street. Built in 1792-93, the house retains much of its historic character and fabric and has one of the few surviving 19th-century gardens in Merrion Square. The Mews sleeps six.

GALLEY HEAD LIGHT KEEPERS' HOUSES, near Clonakilty, Co. Cork

Galley Head Lighthouse station sits on the Dun Deide headland at about 130 feet above sea level. The station was built in 1875, during the heyday of lighthouse building. Gerald Butler, who grew up in the house when his father was the day light keeper in the 1920s, acts as unofficial tour guide for incoming guests. He was delighted to show me around the half of the house he lived in (the night light keeper and his family occupied the other half). The homes have been returned to their original symmetrical layout, and each can sleep four to six people with an internal door linking the two. The area has excellent beaches, golf courses, equestrian facilities, and restaurants.

WICKLOW HEAD LIGHTHOUSE, near Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow

Established in September 1781, Wicklow Head's first light was actually part of a unique pair of lighthouses built at the same time on Wicklow Head. After 50 years in service, the light was deemed too high in elevation and was often obscured by fog. Over the years, rough sea weather caused further deterioration. Rather than demolish it, the lighthouse was preserved, with a dome on the roof added in 1866. Today, the lighthouse is a unique property that can accommodate four to six people.

LOOP HEAD LIGHT KEEPERS HOUSE, near Kilbaha, Co. Clare

There has been a lighthouse at this location at the mouth of the Shannon River since around 1670. The first beacon was in a cottage where the keeper and his family lived, and traces of this building still exist in the present day complex. After it fell into disrepair, a new light was re-established in 1770. The work done at Loop Head has been purely restorative, apart from the piercing of the outer seaward wall to give several narrow windows, or loops, which give residents views of the sea and additional light. The house, which sleeps five, is an excellent base for touring the Loop Head, and is an hour's drive to Shannon Airport.

BLACK HEAD LIGHT KEEPERS' HOUSES, near Belfast, Co. Antrim

Black Head Lighthouse was built on the north shore of the entrance to Belfast Lough in 1901, opposite its twin across the Lough at Mew Island. When steam replaced sail in the mid-19th century, these two would have guided all the great ships during Belfast's shipbuilding glory days. The lighthouse and houses are built on a spectacular headland with stunning views out across the Irish Sea. The three houses contain interesting fragments of lighthouse paraphernalia and each has a large kitchen and sitting room, a double and twin room. Its proximity to Belfast, the Antrim coast, and other parts of Northern Ireland make it a great place to stay.

CASTLETOWN GATE LODGE AND ROUNDHOUSE, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

There are three properties situated inside the main gate of Castletown House, Ireland's finest Palladian Country House. Two of them, the Gate House and the Roundhouse, have been restored by the Trust, and both are within walking distance of Celbridge town center. By car, you can visit championship golf courses, cultural and historical sites, and world-class racecourses. Celbridge is also the birthplace of Arthur Guinness, founder of the Guinness Brewery, and pubs serving the hearty black brew are numerous. The Gate House sleeps three; the Roundhouse sleeps six. Dublin is about 30 minutes away.

BALLEALY COTTAGE, near Randalstown, Co. Antrim

Ballealy Cottage was built around 1865 for the estate deer keeper. Located in a woodland setting, it has a fairytale appearance of irregular gables and half-hipped roofs. It was built around a tiny central courtyard, entered through an arched passageway. The cottage has sleeping room for five to seven, and its proximity to Northern Ireland golf courses makes it great a great place to stay for a golf getaway.

THE SCHOOLHOUSE, Annaghmore, Co. Sligo

Built in the 1860s, The Schoolhouse is an attractive rural building located by the Owenmore River. It retains many original decorative features, including ornamental wood moldings, lattice windows, and schoolhouse furnishings such as the fireplace, coat hooks, and chalkboards. The L-shaped building originally served as both the schoolmaster's residence and schoolroom. Located in southwest Sligo, Annaghmore is an ideal base for visiting the lakes of Sligo, and is the perfect location for fans of Sligo-born William Butler Yeats, who spent many years in the area and is buried in nearby Drumcliff Cemetery. The property, which sleeps four, is 7 miles from Sligo town.

TERMON HOUSE, near Dungloe, Co. Donegal

Termon House is an 18th-century land agent's house in the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area. This holiday home-with-a-difference is situated directly on the seashore on a three-acre plot. The property is a typical Donegal rural settlement as it was at the moment of abandonment during The Famine. Termon sleeps seven in two double rooms. It's perfectly positioned for visits to the many scenic areas of Donegal.

CLOMANTAGH CASTLE, near Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny

Clomantagh Castle makes for a terrific getaway for a large group (it sleeps 10 in four double and one twin bedroom), and its guest book reveals that the house has served as the venue for everything from bridal showers to family reunions. The book also suggests that, occasionally, a ghost makes itself known, as it did when four of us spent a cool, foggy October night there surrounded by its 12th-century parish church, an early 15th-century tower house, a medieval dovecote, and an 18th-century farmhouse.

Our "visitor" was thought to be frying bacon in the wee hours of the morning, at least according to our friends occupying the tower room above the kitchen, when the aroma reached their room. High on the tower house above the roof of the farmhouse, there's evidence of an earlier attached structure, most likely the banqueting hall, which was probably used for entertaining. On this site is the Victorian farmhouse, which is a fine example of this building type. There are two bathrooms upstairs and a shower room downstairs. Other rooms include a parlor and a large kitchen where ghosts from Clomantagh's past might be called upon to start breakfast for you!

The Trust has four charming properties perfect for honeymooners or for a couple's getaway. In the Republic, ANNES GROVE MINIATURE CASTLE, near Mallow, Co. Cork, is a medieval miniature castle designed in a romantic Gothic style by Benjamin Woodward in 1853. The building originally consisted of two rooms, one at ground level and one on the first floor, with a stairway contained in the turret leading to the first floor and to the roof. The castle has one double bedroom, kitchen, and living room.

SALTERBRIDGE GATE LODGE, near Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, is a classically proportioned pavilion gate lodge built in 1849. Like all gate lodges, its original function was to indicate to the passer-by the good standing and taste of the original owner and to showcase some of the features of the architect's work on the big house. The lodge is located in the Blackwater Valley close to Cappoquin, Lismore, and the Knockmealdown Mountains.

In Northern Ireland, THE DRUM GATE LODGE, on Ballylough Estate, near Bushmills, Co. Antrim, is a two-story circular shaped building with a small extension that links it to the main. The lodge has one double bedroom, kitchen, and living room, and is a perfect location for a couple visiting the Antrim coast, Giants' Causeway, and the Bushmills Old Distillery.

BARBICAN GATE LODGE, near Glenarm, Co. Antrim, is reached by crossing a small bridge over the Glenarm River. The lodge is made up of a three-story main block building with staircase turret and a lower, two-story wing. Original doors, plasterwork, and stone floors have been retained, with all refurbishments in keeping with the original character of the building.

To maintain the ethos of the original homes, Irish Landmark Properties are equipped with loads of books, playing cards, and games but no phone, television, microwave, or dishwasher (except in the larger homes). Most of the properties have central heating or fireplaces, full baths with tub and shower, and fully equipped kitchens.

INCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE:

The Irish Landmark Trust has offices in Dublin (25 Eustace Street; 011-353-1-670-4733) and Belfast. Properties can be booked from September to June for weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday) or midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) stays; seasonal prices vary widely. From June 30 to Aug. 31, weekly rentals (Saturday to Saturday) are required. Prices for the large properties in season range from $1,000 to $2,600. To view the properties online or to make a booking, visit www.irishlandmark.com.

Several airlines, including Aer Lingus, Continental, Delta, U.S. Airways, American, and FlyGlobespan fly from the U.S. gateways to Shannon and Dublin.

For tourist information on both the Republic and Northern Ireland, visit www.discoverireland.com.

 

© Margaret M. Johnson

Travel | Ireland: Lighthouses, Lodges, Mews Offer Unique Accommodations