The Shirley Arms Hotel

We spent four nights at the Shirley Arms Hotel, Monday to Friday, and the team were fantastic from my first email enquiry. The hotel is lovely, and everyone was welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Aoibheann in the bar restaurant deserves a special mention, she was brilliant. The food was lovely, especially the Sizzler steak with creamy garlic potato gratin. I'd already eaten some and cut up the potatoes before taking the picture, so it doesn't show the dish at its best. I know some people have complained about the food prices. It's not the cheapest, but I felt I got good value for my money and would happily stay again. There's lots of parking on site, the rooms are great, and housekeeping was attentive. If you've forgotten anything, there's a 'Super Valu' supermarket next door. What's not to like?

For a friend's surprise birthday coffee get-together, we used this hotel. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the service was generous. I'd definitely recommend it for a gathering.

The reception staff were particularly good, and the service was pleasant. Breakfast was generally good, though some vegetarian choices would have helped. The rooms were nice, but in warm summer weather they got extremely hot because the windows couldn't be opened fully. The shower was another problem: it ran very hot, and the stiff control tap made adjusting the temperature difficult. This was true in multiple rooms, based on other people we knew who were staying there. They need to sort that out. We stayed a couple of nights and enjoyed being in Carrick.

Dinner was fantastic, cooked to perfection and served with a smile and a bit of crack. The menu had plenty to suit different tastes. Our room was spotlessly clean and very well appointed, and the staff were so friendly and engaging from the moment we walked in at reception. The only drawback was staying just one night. We were there for a wedding, then spent two more nights at Cabra castle. If we're back in the area, we'll definitely stay at the Shirley.