Reviews

Masons Cottage

S O’Keeffe Aug 2023

We recently rented the mason’s cottage for a first-time visit to Sheep’s Head and had a wonderful time there. The cottage had everything we needed, with plenty of room for the 6 of us. The kitchen is well-stocked and the bathrooms are new and clean, beds are great and the view over the bay toward Mizen Head is amazing both from inside and out on the deck. Access to the Sheeps Head Way trail is at the edge of the property – perfect! Finn and Claire are top-notch hosts and we can’t wait to return

Muffit Allen. May 2022
We have been coming back to Masons twice yearly since our first stay in 2013, and it just gets better with each visit. You could not ask for a more charming and immaculately clean house, with absolutely stunning views out to Dunmanus Bay from the picture windows in the living room.. The beds are so comfortable and the two full bathrooms have been recently done over with modern shower stalls that never run out of scalding hot water. The house itself is set in a secluded area with trails in every direction, and the locals are friendly and welcoming. Finn and Claire, the owners of Masons are lovely people, warm and gracious, and couldn’t be more helpful, should you need anything. There’s great WiFi, but we seldom needed it as the hills and walks and scenery kept us well entertained. Bantry is only a half hour’s drive and has a great SuperValu grocery store and plenty of shops and restaurants, but you’ll be loath to leave the peace and tranquility of Kilcrohane. We can’t wait to go back, and hope to continue our stays at Mason’s for years to come.

An Irish Gem Rachel B Aug 2022
We have been visiting Ireland as a family for 8 years and in that 8 years our family has grown. Masons is just perfect for us. It’s situated in the ideal place…not too far out of the village itself but far enough to be away from everything. The house itself is stunning – the views are breathtaking and the accommodation ticks every box. It always feels like a home from home – there is everything you need for making a family meal and enough space to accommodate. Claire is the most caring soul…even after 8 years of us visiting, she always makes sure it is as good as the first time. The house is always beautifully presented and the extra treat of the cooked Irish breakfast is an added bonus! If you want peace, tranquillity, comfort, cleanliness and an all round amazing place to stay, Masons is the place.

Annie & Martin Devon. December 2017
A magical Christmas holiday with ever changing light and colour seen from the windows. Pleased we brought our bikes for rides to the Sheeps Head and Kilcrohane Harbour. Great walks along some of the loops shown on the Sheeps Head map and very well way marked, particularly out to the light house with sleet and rain. Many thanks to Finn & Claire for offering this home and decorating it for Christmas. We hope to return again another time. 

Monique, Micah & Andrew. October 2017
By far the best stay of our 10 day trip here. We loved its so much that we decided to stay 2 extra days. A huge thank you to Finn & Claire for our wonderful stay here in their home. We will be back one day.

The Flynn family Dublin. July 2017
Thank you Claire & Finn for sharing your beautiful holiday home with us. The house is kept in excellent condition and you really thought of everything. We had a fantastic week exploring Cork and some good weather to go with it. I would recommend The Quays in Bantry for a fantastic roast & O’Suillebhain in Durrus for some of the best pub grub an amazing pint. Would definitely recommend the Sheeps Head walks, Mizen Head, the boat trip to fastnet rock and the trip to Garnish island from Glengarriff. A day trip to fota island is a must. All and all a fantastic week in a beautiful house.

Muffitt & Dan Allen. May 2017
This was our third stay at Masons & each visit has been wonderful. Thank you to Claire & Finn for their warm welcome and for maintaining such a lovely house. The views from the house are spectacular and we were fortunate to have beautiful weather for our entire stay. We love the peacefulness and gentle pace of life on the Sheeps Head, and look forward to returning to one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth.

Alex, Rachel & family UK. August 2016
We have just spent the last two weeks falling in love with Ireland. So many beautiful places to discover and so many wonderful people we have met along the way. Masons was the perfect base for our big family, so homely & those views. Absolutely stunning. Most definitely be returning next year to make more fantastic memories.

Pam & Mike USA. June 2016
This is a place where even digital photos & internet can’t do justice to the great qualities of the house & its place. The way the house has been nestled into the slops, its views of the sea & mountains are just perfect. The house is more spacious & well laid out than we imagined, aswell. We thoroughly enjoyed both being here and exploring much of the peninsula on foot. Would love to come back. Thanks to Claire & Finn for a great stay.

The Wright family. July 2015
We’ve had a great break away from it all here on the Sheeps Head. Our girls enjoyed exploring the garden and the walks you can do starting right at the front door. We did three local walks, to the nearest pier through the fields, up the hill to the lake & also the lighthouse walk. We also did a day trip to Mizen Head & Barley cove which was well worth the visit. We spent a rainy day in Bantry did a bit of shopping and ate at the Brick Oven, nice pizza. Locally we had a great meal at Arundels. Thanks for a lovely stay.

Ank en Derk. Oct 2014
Lovely and great place to stay with a wonderful view. Every moment the sky was different so we enjoyed to sit and read and look outside. We did a lot of beautiful walks, the lighthouse, the poets path. And we visited Eileens bar for a beer & had a wonderful dinners at The Old Creamery (opened since June 2014) or here at home…We will come back absolutely. Thanks for your hospitality. 

Holly & James Gatfield. July 2014
We have had a lovely holiday, wonderful scenery, friendly people, scrummy food and very comfortable & well equipped lodgings. Thank you Claire & Finn for sharing your holiday home its an amazing place & the views from all rooms are like moving pictures. We loved the cove, the stone table, the Sheeps Head walks(think we did 35miles of it), barley cove, castletownbere (great for fish of the day lunch), Skibbereen market, sunset over the tip of the Sheeps Head, kissed the Blarney stone & enjoyed the beautiful herbaceous border gardens there. And of course the Murphys and music at Eileens Bar where we were warmly welcomed. We had a terrific time.

Julie & Liam Sydney. November 2013
We have had a wonderful holiday here wholly due to the lovely house, the fantastic views, the super friendly people. Thank you so much. 

The Botesons. August 2013
Lovely place to stay. Peaceful and amazing views out of the window. Our children lovwed the time being in Ireland for the first and hopefully not the last time. Better weather than expected. Lovely walks to the lighthouse, Loch na Fuilla, Tra Ruaim, seeing Bantry House, Garnish Island, ewe experience and Glengarriff.

The Allen party. June 2013
“This side of paradise in Kilcrohane! This was a meticulously clean, well-equipped and spacious house situated in a remote and beautiful part of West Cork, with absolutely stunning ocean views from almost every window. One look out over peaceful fields of sheep and grazing cows to the ever-changing sea–truly breathtaking. The owners could not have been more welcoming: a basket filled with a loaf of delicious brown bread, butter, a packet of rashers, a tin of beans, a carton of milk, and a sleeve of Wheatabix eliminated the need to shop the day we arrived. Sheepshead is an idyllic area that caters to walkers and hill climbers, with clearly marked trails and miles of barely travelled roads. The people we met were invariably warm and friendly. We will certainly return to this area and would happily stay here again, only next time for a longer visit!”

The Caboche Family. August 2012
“A very comfortable property in a beautiful setting with stunning sea views and mountains within walking distance. Although off the beaten track, this location does not feel isolated or remote as the owner makes you very wlecome and the nearest village is only about 5 minutes away by car, offering a shop and pubs. A really idyllic spot!”

The Corey Party. July 2012
“We were greeted warmly by Clare and Finn and shown around this most comfortable and lovely house. A very welcome “welcome package” was provided. The scenery was fabulous, lots to see and do in the area. Very friendly welcoming locals and two lovely “potteries”.”

Mark, Mary and Thomas. April 2012
“Another wonderful holiday – great to be able to return again. Weather good for the time of year – West Cork at it’s best when wild and windy. Enjoyed the wildlife, lots of birds, badger and seals at Schull. Only downside, not long enough! Many thanks to the Owners for all their help and the lovely welcome pack. Hope to return soon.”

The Carolan Family. March 2012
“We have had a wonderful time here. The views are spectacular and the peace & tranquility is amazing. We have gone on some amazing walks and the lighthouse walk stands out in particular. We have really enjoyed going to Eileen’s pub in the evenings – it’s a great experience. The early bird in O’Connors in Bantry was amazing – top class food! We loved staying in this house and we are hope to be back at some stage in the future.”

Eamonn & Marie. March 2012
“We have had a wonderful holiday. The view of the bay is spectacular, especially first thing in the morning. There are a great variety of walks and the people are very helpful and friendly. We will gladly recommend the house and lovely location to all our friends. We have been so lucky with the weather and look forward to returning in the near future. We would recommend a trip to the Skibbereen Heritage Centre and also Bantry House and garden. Many thanks.”

The Garry family. August 2011
“Lovely view, fantastic for walking. You can get brillant walks from any direction. The owners and people in the area are very friendly.”

Vera, Raymond, Wendy and Graham. May 2011
“Very comfortable cottage with beautiful sea views and very nice owner who couldnt do enough to help you. Nice and quiet area for relaxing.”

Janet. June 2011
“Wonderful location and lovely people.”

The Berry Family. August 2011
“The cottage was excellent in everyway. Superb coast and sea views from all rooms. Friendly, helpful service from Imagine Ireland.”

Edna & Ron. April 2010
“Real people, real views, real Ireland.”

Steve & Cathy (USA). May 2010
“Thanks for the oppertunity to experience one of the most unspoilt and beautiful places in europe. Keep it real”

The Newkirks (USA). June 2010
“The views at every turn were incredibly beautiful made for a perfect holiday. A warm and comfortable cottage, we hope to return”

Amon & Marie. April 2010
“We had a wonderful holiday, there was a huge varity of walks. we would reccomend the cottage to our friends.”

Trá Ruaim Loft

Sheelagh & Nigel, Co Wexford March 2024

Very comfortable place, just what we needed. Thoroughly enjoyed our week here at Tra Ruam Loft & Sheep’s Head. A warm welcome from our hosts and the dogs, Scobie, Ally & Bengy. Many Thanks Finn & Claire.

Margaret Ruiz. 2022

We recently spent a beautiful week at Tra Ruaim Loft. We enjoyed our time very much.
The space is thoughtful and so cute! And although the space is small, it never felt that way – it is very functional and had everything we needed. The traditional design of the cottage was really special.
Claire and Finn were super helpful and accommodating. And the location is prime – a short walk to the water, and easy access to nice hikes. Our two year old son loved staying on the farm.

Bill, Karen & Leo UK. December 2017
Thank you for a wonderful, peaceful and relaxing Christmas break. You made us feel so welcome and the welcome pack was really appreciated. We hope to come back and see you again, all the best & a very happy New Year.

Liz & Andy, Ennis. July 2017
Sad to be leaving today after our week in paradise. Hope to come back soon. It was absolutely perfect in every way. Many thanks.

R & Alison Derby. May 2017
Have definitely found paradise at this wonderful tranquil barn conversion, we could not have asked or expected anymore, even the weather has been idyllic. Thanks for the introduction when we arrived it was most appreciated. We just cant wait for our return visit and will savour the very special memories.

Eric & Glen. January 2017
We’ve had an amazing week in the loft. The Sheeps Head is a stunning area to explore and we’ve loved getting mucky & having a pint in Eileens after. The loft is a perfect romantic getaway and the views are better in real life. Thanks for having us.

The Kelly family, Athy. August 2016
Claire, Finn & family, thank you so much for everything. We had a brilliant time. We walked to the lighthouse & Kilcrohane – fabulous views & air. We saw parts of Kilcrohane & West Cork we never knew existed. We ate the finest lunch in The old creamery restaurant & the best coffee and cake & host in the Whitehouse café. Barley cove is stunning but most of all having breakfast on the balcony here in your loft was just out of this world. Our son loved everything about his surroundings – partly living on a farm for a week – of course he was happy. We loved the views & our evening stroll to the beach.

The Larkin family. August 2016
Fantastic stay in the loft, Finn, Claire & family are fantastic hosts. We had a blast. Both walking the Sheeps Head, fishing, swimming and even running. A really beautiful part of the country. Thank you again & hope to see ye  again soon.

Karina, Tom & Tadhg. April 2016
The cottage exceeded our expectations, so cosy and with such stunning views for miles. We enjoyed our stay very much. Thank you for your hospitality and for the much appreciated supplies in the fridge on arrival. Wishing you continued success with the property, we’ll be recommending it to our friends.

Dee & Sean Cork. April 2016
Thank you so much, we had a wonderful break. Love the loft and the comfort it brings. Fab walks and surroundings. Looking forward to returning.

Tony & Breda Wicklow. June 2015.
Thanks to Finn & Claire for a wonderful stay. The loft conversion is so comfortable and well equipped, there is everything one could wish for. We were so comfortable that we did not mind a few days of rain. We really enjoyed our two weeks stay & will be back.

Dave & Claire Dublin. April 2015
What a great week we have spent down here on Sheeps Head. The wee cottage could not have been better, both inside & out. Every convenience is catered for here. It won’t be easy readjusting to life in the big smoke. Thanks Finn and Claire. You should be very proud of the job you have done here.

Claire & Holger August 2014
“Thanks for a truly wonderful stay. The loft apartment is beautifully restored and has everything you could possibily need when on holiday. The treehouse balcony is stunning which has great views and makes the apartment very bright. Sheep’s Head has great walking trails so this is the perfect stay if you like to hike”

Suzanne & Rob Sept 2014
” A truly perfect place to stay.Although only two nights the loft was a dream. The treehouse terrace at sunset was wonderfully romantic. Thanks for making us feel so welcome.