Over the bank holiday weekend, Brian and I took a trip to Mayo for a little ‘staycation’. A few months ago we decided to have a quieter summer break away together this year… lots of other social events over the summer and saving for our wedding mostly dictated the decision! I am so glad that we booked in Ireland, as the spot that we landed on on Air BnB was a haven. Located in County Mayo, and run by a such a kind and welcoming couple, Katie and Richard, we could not have asked for a nicer space than this beautiful wooden lodge. I feel drawn to sharing this as it was such an ideal place to enjoy a pause. It might be a potential spot for someone else to enjoy a ‘reset break’ too in the future. (I’m not being paid to share this, I just loved this place!!)
Katie and Richard’s lodge is a gorgeous wooden structure located in the heart of the countryside. It’s clear from this image above that the weather wasn’t too kind to us during our stay, but in many ways this added to the relaxed nature of our time there. We were forced by the rain, as well as the lack of distraction around us to well and truly stop, and it was such a welcome break!
On our arrival, we were greeted with the warmest of welcomes from Katie, who filled us in on the lodge and the area. Right away, we felt at home and at ease there. Once we stepped inside, I just walked around for the first few minutes to take it all in- I immediately loved it! The cosy and tasteful interiors made it so easy to switch off and down tools. Katie and Richard are both artists, and their creative flair was evident throughout the lodge, from the beautiful Foxford throws and cushions that were dotted around the living space, to the stunning pieces of their own art work that were hung around the space.
The carpeted floor and snug throws and blankets in the living space, along with the overall feeling of being cocooned cosily in the wooden structure while listening to the rain did wonders for my headspace and relaxation levels.
Also on the ground floor, the kitchen was kitted out with everything we needed for cooking during our stay. We stocked up with all the food we needed in the nearby SuperValu in Claremorris on the day that we arrived, so Brian was in his element in the role of head chef! We really appreciated the little touches that had been left for us- a little welcome note accompanying homemade bread, jam and butter, as well as some tea and coffee to get us started on our stay. There were other thoughtful little offerings that were sprinkled throughout our stay also, we were so grateful for those Random Acts Of Kindness!
The cabin had enough space to sleep three people. Upstairs, a beautiful, bright and airy double room with a stunning view of the surrounding countryside. It was such a restful space. Then, a single bed positioned in a cleverly- converted landing space. The main bathroom with shower was downstairs, with a smaller bathroom upstairs.
While these pictures above were taken on the morning that we were leaving, which was clear, the rest of our stay was pretty much a wash out! Brian cooked, I wrote, we both read and we also took advantage of the amazing DVD collection in the lodge! Serious classics- we ended up getting lost in a few episodes of ‘Love/Hate’ over the time. We also slept A LOT! We clearly needed it! I definitely feel the wood surfaces and structure all around us helped us to relax further, it created such a soothing environment.
More than anything, I really loved the creative and kind elements that were spread around the interior of the cabin and around the grounds also. Paintings of a tuxedo cat like Milo, a little ceramic garden angel and a reminder sign to ‘Look up at the stars’ – I was home!!
Katie and Richard’s own house is situated nearby and during our stay we had the pleasure of meeting their gorgeous pets – cats, dogs and beautiful horse.
We were genuinely so sad to leave at check out time. Katie and Richard both met us to say goodbye and kindly gifted us some prints of their beautiful artwork. We were completely bowled over by their kindness and thoughtfulness while we were there. I already cannot wait to go back to stay there again in the future!
If you fancy a little reset for your soul at any stage, I would highly recommend staying at this beautiful lodge. If the weather was brighter, you could enjoy trails and walks in the countryside, with Claremorris being the nearest town and Westport just a little over a half hour drive away. For us it was 100% worth the drive from Kilkenny to allow us to completely switch off.
Here is the Air BnB link below if you would like to check it out:
Love
Wellbeing With Mia 