We recently went on a grand adventure to and through Ireland. We went all about the country and stayed at all different kind of places: hotel chains, B&Bs, fancy hotels, and hostels. We got a great taste of it all, but one place that we stayed at stood out above and beyond: Moy River Bed & Breakfast. It’s in County Sligo, nestled up against the Ox Mountains and Moy River. We would recommend this Bed & Breakfast to any person traveling Ireland (except perhaps a big family with lots of little ones). It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
It’s charming, beautiful, and very Irish, but most importantly, it has the best hosts. Pat McCarrick and Rita Normanly own this lovely bed & breakfast and I say it’s lovely because they are lovely. We arrived quite late to the B&B due to some car issues, but both of them were awake to greet us and show us our room. More than that, they insisted on giving us tea and some treats after a long drive despite how late it was. We sat around their fireplace and got to know each other. We learned more about Ireland, about the local area, and about them. It was such a nice time and it still stands out in my mind.
Pat!
The room we had was spacious, clean, and well-decorated. Indeed, the entire house is beautifully decorated by many of their own artwork (from paintings to sculptures to photographs). There was water and more treats laid out for us in the room, thoughtful books displayed focusing on Ireland and also one featuring Pat’s incredible photography. The bed was spacious, clean, and comfortable. Since it’s somewhat remote, it was lovely waking up to sounds of the birds and the sunlight trickling in through the sunroof. All the facilities worked well and we wanted for nothing.
In the morning, a beautiful spread of food was laid out for us and the other guests there. There was tea, coffee, orange juice, water, bread, scones, fruit, and more. On top of that, Pat offered to cook up something hot for us and we both chose a decadent porridge including seeds, cream, and whiskey (!). It was so enjoyable to sit in this window-full room to talk to other travelers and also with our hosts. We were full and happy by the end of breakfast.
The B&B house is quite sizable (we didn’t even see the whole thing) and it’s on a good bit of land–all of it green and beautiful with lots of flowers and trees. They have an old cottage in the front from times long past that has a distinct Irish country feel to it. I couldn’t get how beautiful everything was. Also, they put up the flags of the people who were staying there, so the good ol’ Stars & Stripes was waving to us on our arrival. How cool is that!
And then, Pat did something above and beyond for us. Because it was our honeymoon and because he is a talented photographer, he offered his photography skills so we would never forget our honeymoon. He took lovely photos of us in his beautiful yard and enchanting cottage, taking time out of his day–all for free. We weren’t just treated like guests in the traditional hotel sense–it felt like we were being welcoming to a temporary home. We left with huge smiles on our faces.
After re-reading my review, I feel like I should put a huge price tag on it because of how well we were treated and how special it felt. But, it’s absolutely reasonable and affordable (we paid under $100, I’m sure that’s bound to change based on time of year, room, and more factors). To get such service and treatment at such a reasonable rate was incredible, as well. That’s why we can pretty much recommend this lovely Moy River Bed & Breakfast to anyone. If we return to Ireland (which we hope to), we will surely pay Pat & Rita a return visit. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
