This hotel is situated on Gougane Barra Lake, in a valley surrounded by green mountains. Sheep far in the distance look like fluffs on the green hills. The stillness of the lake is only broken by the occasional fish, and stocked birdfeeders are always aflutter with winged activity. Neil welcomed my group of 13 with genuine warmth, & got us checked in to our 7 rooms. Our windows either faced the grazing sheep & lambs, or the lake & mountains. Swallows flew in & out of their mud nests on the eaves all day, and we could hear their tiny twitters. After checking in, we all headed down to the hotel bar where Neil introduced us to local stouts, ciders & vodka. My Stonewell Medium Dry Irish Craft Cider was DELICIOUS. He even showed us a picture of his grandparents in front of the original (much smaller than it is now) hotel, many decades ago. There is rich history proudly commemorated in the framed art lining the hallways - lots of stories in these walls! Dinner was amazing. We had seen Chef Katy's brown bread Youtube video, so it was a treat to meet her in person. She has daily dinner specials that highlight the fresh fish that comes in. We loved all our entrees, but the brown bread & this starter left several of us talking: Irish Cheese Salad, Local Gubbeen, Coolea Cheese, Cashel Blue Cheese, smoked bacon, roast walnuts, caramelized balsamic & orange dressing. Breakfast was a mixture of self service meusli, stewed prunes/apricots/figs, grapefruit supremes, scones & croissants, cold cereals, yogurts, Katy's delish brown bread, brown bread crackers & cheeses, juices & tea or coffee and a menu of hot items to order from. As a guest here, you will feel the deep peacefulness from being surrounded by nature, & from warm personalized service. When hearing that one of my group had become ill, Neil & his team went out of their way to make him as comfortable as possible, offering pitchers of filtered ice water, soup & brown bread, and tea & porridge to bring up to his room. Whether you are looking to plan a lovely dinner, stay a weekend, or plan a romantic wedding, this is your winning spot. read more

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Everything was amazing and prepared with excellence. Worth the trip to the country paradise. read more

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Gougane Barra Hotel is the epitome of a local family-run business focused on incredible quality. We stayed here the first two nights of our Ireland trip and all four of us wished that we had stayed longer. (My husband and I are already talking about maybe going here for two weeks next summer versus trying a new country.) The rooms are perfectly nice. Ours overlooked a field and I had sheep right outside my window! Our friends' overlooked the lake. The bed came with warm, snuggly wool blankets, which I unfortunately happen to be allergic to. We took it off the bed and folded it up and my husband went down to the desk to ask if they could give us a regular blanket. They asked when we planned to be out of the room (for dinner, etc.) and insisted that they would take care of it. When we came back the room was remade and they must have also changed the sheets because I didn't itch at all when I crawled into bed that night. The restaurant is absolutely amazing. From appetizers to mains to desserts, we loved absolutely everything. We planned to go all out with a three-course meal and wine the one night and do something simpler the next, but we ended up at the restaurant both nights for a feast and both mornings for their hearty breakfast. (Seeing how few reviews there are, I wish I had more pictures - but I have dinner from one night and some views from the grounds that I'll post.) Off of the lobby there are two common seating rooms with comfy chairs and a nice bar. After dinner both nights, we got drinks and sat around relaxing and playing games. (They have some games out, but we also always pack a few small games.) This was 1000% perfect after two days of exploring castles in the rain and hiking in the beautiful countryside. This review would be incomplete without a mention of the service. Everyone - from desk staff to wait staff to the (I presume) manager - was focused on making sure our experience was perfect. The incredibly customer-oriented man that I'm going to assume was the manager (and that I'm embarrassed to admit whose name I don't remember) asked each day what we had planned and if we needed any assistance. On the day we were leaving, we indicated that we were going to drive up to the Cliffs of Moher via Limerick. He gave us an alternate route that took just a few minutes longer but that was much more picturesque and included a car ferry. He even recommended restaurants and off-the-beaten path sights for along our way. This same gentleman was in the bar both nights, giving us whiskey tastings and helping us find exactly what we liked. (One of my friends is now a huge fan of this mint liquor that he recommended for her based on her tastes.) In a word this place is perfect. read more

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This hotel was the destination after a 45 mile bike ride - and honestly any hotel would have been fine as I just needed a place to lay my tired little head - but this hotel was a true retreat! It's nestled between the mountains on a beautiful lake - and is the definition of tranquil. The hotel itself has a lovely feel. What's great about it is that though it's a hotel, it has the family appeal of a B&B. The staff greats you with warmth, and the rooms, though modest, have everything you need. The parlor is full of books, board games, and travellers ready to converse about where they have been. There is a mini pub in the hotel (larger bar on the premise for more rousing evenings), and a dining room (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) that overlooks the beautiful lake and mountain view. We were informed that this is a popular place for weddings, and that the wait list is over a year! After being there for a few hours, you can tell why. The grounds are what's truly special about this hotel. When you walk out of this hotel, your view is breathtaking at all hours of the day. We got up early and did some running/row boating on the lake, and were blown away by how quiet and still it was. It was truly serene being out on the water with the beautiful views all around. At night, the dim lights from the little Church barely glow in the distance, and the sky is full of stars. I can't remember the last time I was so relaxed. BONUS: Fabulous Brown Bread at breakfast! Check it out - the owners of the hotel could not be nicer, and while staying here, you'll feel like you're getting a minute away from the world. It's a wonderful feeling. read more

Exceptional hotel and dining experience. I'm not one to post much nor do I extend a whole lot of credit to such businesses, but this is the exception. Beautiful as all of Ireland. Majestic scenery and incredible service. Family ran...hospitality is an obvious priority here. Compliments to the staff for a wonderful stay. read more

This hotel is a gem. The owners are just lovely and very helpful. We stayed here one night - to be honest, the scenery is incredible but we stayed here on a Wednesday night and by the time we ate dinner the pub and cafe were closed - there was nothing else there. So, I recommend buying a bottle or some pints for later in the evening - night life does not exist and you will end up inside your hotel room watching bad TV :) The dinner at the hotel was VERY good and I highly recommend you bring your appetite, the amount of sides they serve you is insane! read more

We stayed 2 nights at Gougane Barra Hotel on a family trip to Ireland on the recommendation of some friends who have been before. There were 9 of us, and we had 4 rooms, and all of us loved it! The hotel itself is perfectly situated near the island with St. Finbarr's oratory, and many of the rooms have a view of the loch and the island, so it is worth asking if those rooms are available when checking in. The beds were comfortable and the rooms clean. The restaurant is amazing, and had excellent food and wine parings. I had steak which was thinly cut but tender and flavorful. Everybody else was more than happy with their choices as well. For breakfast I had a full Irish breakfast which was traditional, plus porridge with Bailey's instead of milk (an option on the menu!) which was to die for. So good! There is a wonderful lounge area with a fireplace as well as a pub adjacent to it, and the Irish coffee we had there was the best we had on our entire trip. In all, it has a very cozy feel to it. Neil and Katy are ever-present hosts, and did everything to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. They are also great at making recommendations for things to do in the area. I would highly recommend going on hikes in the Gougane Barra nature preserve, especially the hike to the Waterfall which was beautiful. I would also recommend spending some time on the island at the oratory and around the grounds where you can relax and spend some time reflecting on your journey and your faith. Its a wonderful experience! read more