What a beautiful place.to meet friends and have a spot of lunch and a catch up.. the only downside…read morewas that it was too warm to have a hot dish so we went for the wrap which we thought was quite small! Imagine our surprise when we got half a wrap and two very small portion of salad which cost €13.95 ! This was only €2 cheaper than a hot main dish! In all my travels I have never seen a half wrap served up and so expensive too!!!. I queried the half wrap and was told that is all they serve. The only downer to an otherwise lovely day out.

Having dreamed of a country cottage for Christmas for many years now, Sheepwalk House had a lot to…read morelive up to. I was looking for log fires, country walks, hot showers and home comforts - luckily, Reggie (Regina) McCabe was on hand to make sure everything was perfectly magical. From the start, the service was five star. Knowing that we didn't have a car, Reggie asked us to email a shopping list of everything we wanted and collected all our supplies for us, including local produce, wine and fuel for a week. She decorated the cottage with a Christmas tree and decorations, and even made us mince pies. It didn't stop there; she drove us to a mushroom farm and into the town to get our bearings. At all times, Reggie was professional and helpful, without being overbearing. Perfect! We stayed in The Coach House which was warmed for our arrival. Although it was perfectly kitted out with everything we needed for cooking and baking, Reggie invited us to tour her kitchen for any additional items we might like. The bedrooms were snug and the beds really comfortable. The real fire was a delight, creating a lovely cosy atmosphere in the cold, frosty nights. Located between Avoca (home of TV series Ballykissangel) and Arklow village, it's also just ten minutes drive from the stunning shoreline and sand dunes of Brittas Bay. The cottages are difficult to find on the night time because they're set back from the road, but the directions on the website are perfect. We got a peek into all the other cottages which ranged from for two people to six. Every one was carefully decorated and well stocked to create a home away from home. We had visitors over the week and each one loved the setting and the cottage. If you want personal service, comfort and a real country feel, then that's exactly what you'll find. I'm already planning to return for a weekend writing break at the end of February.

After traveling in Ireland and staying in three other B&B's, we are sorry to say that we were very…read moredisappointed with Diamond Hill Country House. The "recently decorated" house, as stated on their website, was not a true statement. The bathrooms had mold in the shower area and also in the window areas. The shower hose was oxidized to the point that you could scrape it off with your fingers. The rooms were not very clean, lots of cobwebs in the windows. While traveling through Ireland and seeing all the lush flowers, we were very disappointed in their 2 acres of supposedly lush gardens. While we were there we asked if we could do laundry and were able to use their facilities. When being escorted to the laundry area, we were subject to quite a lot of filth, unorganization, and just complete messes. As far as we are concerned, these people have no business running a bed and breakfast. We can give one compliment and that is their breakfast was good.