Cahergal Farmhouse BB

Noreen was so kind, and we loved chatting with her over breakfast about her life in Ireland and her family in the States. She made sausages and eggs for us and pancakes for the children. We had a lovely night in the Ivy Suite with our kids, and it's easy to see how she's kept the business going for 40 years.

I'd booked in February and had the reservation confirmed, but they called two weeks before our August arrival to cancel. They said they didn't have a room for the Saturday night, even though we'd booked for two nights. I suspect the hostess thought she could get a better rate because of a big local wedding and wanted my room, but that's only my guess. If you need certainty, avoid this place.

We mentioned on arrival that my companion and I eat plant-based, and the host seemed surprised because she hadn't come across it before. Still, by breakfast the next morning she'd made us a fully vegan cooked meal and even checked that the bread she'd bought was vegan too. That kind of care showed real hospitality. A wonderful guesthouse, and I can't recommend this B&B highly enough. Kim

The guest house behind the inn was gorgeous, with a real cottage-core feel, and I loved it. We were there for a week or two, but the old house had some practical problems. Running the shower and laundry together tripped a breaker, and the showers in the two bedrooms nearest the master didn't drain properly after the first use, leaving that end of the house smelling bad. My sister and I ended up using the master bathroom. With six of us, the small hot water tank also meant not everyone could shower in the morning without getting cold water. After a laundry load, it took an hour or two for the hot water to return, and eventually the heater stopped working. The owners were accommodating, though, and let us use showers in the inn's empty rooms.