Enjoy the ambience and tranquillity of a spacious cottage within walking distance of Lough Mask Lake. Perfect for exploring the area of Cong, Ballinrobe & Connemara. This pretty country cottage has a good quality traditional interior, creating a warm atmosphere that engulfs you and a cosy sitting room with stove, doors opening to a fully fitted kitchen with dining area and doors leading out onto a paved area with a picnic table perfect for dining al fresco with fabulous views of the countryside.4 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms / Sleeping upto 8 guests / Allowing 1 petBeautifully presented 4 bedroom cottage set in an idyllic setting with beautiful land and mountain views.Only a short walk to Lough Mask Lake where one can stroll down for a morning swim, a spot of fishing or roam around the quiet roads or fields and enjoy a picnic.Inishmaine Island is also only a short walk from The Cottage where you will find the remains of Inishmaine Abbey and gatehouse an early monastic site.The Cottage is situated in Neale close to Cong, Ballinrobe and within 50 minutes to the Capital of Culture, Galway City.Adjacent to Lough Corrib and Lough Mask.The cottage is offered in excellent order displayed as follows:-Hallway leading into a bright reception room with stove fire, comfy couches and plenty of windows overlooking green fields. There are double doors opening to the kitchen/dining area. The kitchen is fully fitted with all mod cons including washing machine, dishwasher and microwave. There is a patio door leading out onto a paved area with a picnic table with beautiful views of green fields. There is a stove fire.There is a down stairs double bedroom with free standing wardrobe.Further double bedroom with window to the front of the house.Family bathroom with bath and shower overhead, wc and sink unit.Upstairs:Bedroom 3: Double bed, ensuite shower room, 2 windows with beautiful viewsBedroom 4: Double bedroom with twin beds.The exterior has ample parking space, garden area and gated.CongCong is situated on an island formed by a number of streams that surround it on all sides. Cong is located on the isthmus connecting Loughs Corrib and Mask, near the towns of Headford and Ballinrobe and the villages of Clonbur, the Neale and Cross.Tourist AttractionsAshford Castle provides a romantic backdrop in superior surrounds, offering guests both relaxation and comfort. There are many opportunities to explore the vast estate with fishing on Lough Corrib, equestrian pursuits, golf, falconry and trail walking. Or simply relax in our luxurious interiors and enjoy your favourite novel or pamper yourself with treatments from our beauty therapists.The Castle has welcomed and entertained its fair share of celebrities and public figures over the years. Members of Europe's royal families, political figures, industrialists and film stars have all enjoyed the hospitality of the castle.Ashford Castle has an unsurpassed reputation for providing guests with the very finest rooms and suites. Each guest room is individually designed to provide stylish personal comforts, from the marble fittings of bathrooms to sumptuous co-ordinated fabrics and furnishings. Many of the rooms retain their original features and all are equipped with modern amenities.Ashford Castle offers guests an abundance of activities to enjoy in true spirit of a resort property. From the combination of pursuits involving physical exercise to the more relaxed beauty treatments, we will attempt to ensure you leave Ashford refreshed, relaxed and replenished.FishingSeasonSalmon: 1 February to 30 SeptemberBrown Trout: 1 March to 30 SeptemberPermitsThe fishing is free but a small fee is charged by Ashford Castle Hotel for admission to the grounds. The Cong River rises in the village of Cong. It is, in fact, the outflow from Lough Mask, further to the north, that escapes through huge fissures in the cavernous limestone of the district and rises again in the village of Cong. It is about one mile long. This is a big, wide river, perhaps 100 yards wide in places, and divided by an island at one point. It pushes down strongly past Ashford Castle. Some of it can be fished off the bank and it is possible to wade it, but more of it is better fished from a boat. To fish it well, the visitor would be well advised to employ one of the local gillies. They can be contacted through any hotel or guest house in the village of Cong.The river gets an excellent run of spring salmon and fishing can start on opening day if the water is not too high. The peak of the spring run is in April and then the grilse come in May. June is particularly good, as is early July, and salmon are taken here in lesser numbers for the rest of the season.The early-season fish are mostly taken in spinning but the fly can take fish from April onwards and shrimp and worm are also used.The river also holds excellent stocks of good brown trout and some are very large. It has good hatches of olives, mayflies, sedges and midges and dry-fly fishing can be especially good. Body waders are very useful for the dry-fly fishing but care should be exercised while wading.Boating CruisingThe largest lake in the Republic of Ireland is called Lough Corrib. Measuring 68 sq. miles and with 365 islands, this lake is one of the cleanest, most un-sploit and most scenic in all of Europe.A cruise through this unique waterway is a must while visiting the West of Ireland. In 1977 'Corrib Cruises' began operating on Lough Corrib and today is the longest established and most experienced company cruising these waters.Horse RidingRiding Irish horses on your holiday can get you to places seldom seen.We ride over 3000 acres of the former estate of Ashford Castle which was once the home of the Guinness family. Lord Ardilaun built tunnels under the roads to avoid the inconvenience of opening gates, a gesture which we much appreciate today.Ashford Equestrian Centre actively breeds and trains quality Connemara Ponies, Irish Draughts and Irish Sport Horses. The Irish Draught's qualities of strength, sound constitution, docility and intelligence are well recognised. Today the Irish Draught is sought after for its breeding qualities, being used more and more to get extra bone and substance in the progeny.WalksCong offers the tourist excellent walkways by rivers, lakes, mountains and forests.Connemara, Galway's west coast, boasts beautiful Mountain, Bog, Lake and Coastal scenery and if you have seen the classic 50's movie, The Quiet Man starring Maureen O'Hara & John Wayne, then no more is needed to be said.Mount Gable dominates the area around Clonbur and guards one of the major routes into Connemara from the East. It also commands some of the most splendid views in the region and the climb will repay the efforts of any walker who completes this modest ascent.The 12 Bens challenge which takes place in nearby Clifden in June every year is renowned as the toughest mountain walk in Ireland.Only 30 minutes from Clonbur lies Croagh Patrick which is renowned for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint.It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation.The tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to the present day without interruption. On 'Reek Sunday', the last Sunday in July, over 25,000 pilgrims climb the Reek.
