Harbour Hill House, Kinsale

Kinsale 13^th September 2011.

As I said earlier in the blog, my holiday accommodation was a prize in a competition run by the international letting agency, HomeAway (www.homeaway.co.uk) We had more or less decided on Ireland, for we wanted to go somewhere inexpensive, as we’re saving for the ‘Great Australian Rail Trip’ next year.

There’s such a wide variety of choice on their books, we took rather a long time deciding which we wanted, and finally settled on Harbour Hill House, near Kinsale. To describe it, I can’t do better than repeat the review I left on the HomeAway site.:

The owner told me that the holiday accommodation within the larger Harbour Hill House had originally been intended as a ‘granny flat’. But, it’s eminently suitable for its present use, too, being self-contained, on an upper floor with a stunning view over the bay. It’s welcoming and comfortable, too, with just a hint of art deco about it.

It’s a little remote; a car is essential if you’re staying here, but, that’s not a problem for us … indeed, many people like the solitude and, above all, the peace.

As we usually do on a self-catering motoring holiday, we brought a bag and a coolbox full of stuff with us. In this case, we needn’t have bothered, for we found that more than enough ‘goodies’ had been left for us to tide us over till we could get to the shops.

The kitchen is equipped with everything you need to produce comprehensive meals, although we didn’t use it much, not with Kinsale … reputedly the ‘gourmet capital of Ireland’ … only a short drive away.

It was nicely central for the places we wanted to see. Bantry, Blarney Castle, Cork, Cobh; all were easily accessible and maybe we could have added to the list if we’d been able to stay longer.

For the times when you just want to relax, there’s television and books, and there’s laundry and drying facilities, too, if you need them. Truly, a ‘home away from home’.

To which I’d add, you can see further details of this property at http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Ireland/holiday-apartment-County-Cork/p14927.htm … and embed my video.