An Riasc Bed and Breakfast, Ireland: Thistles and Coos Review
Updated: Jan 20, 2021
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As we stated in our Accommodations Blog, we enjoy staying in various styles of accommodations. There are specific things we look for when we are choosing our places to stay: accessibility, cleanliness, affordability, communication food, amenities, special touches, and honesty - do they follow through with what they say they will offer?
Our stay in Ballydavid, Ireland is no different. We researched and found the An Riasc Bed and Breakfast. http://www.anriasc.ie/ We checked their website, reviews on TripAdvisor and Bookings.com, and made our reservations. Everything looked good so far.
FYI: According to the indifferentlanguages.com website, the Irish word, Riasc means marsh.
The drive to Ballydavid and on to An Riasc Bed and Breakfast, is coastal and scenic. Just 8 miles northwest of the town of Dingle, this bed and breakfast sits close to the coast, you can smell the salty breeze blowing through your open car windows.
This stone farmhouse bed and breakfast with its red front door and symmetrical looking style was welcoming. We were excited to be out of the car and near the ocean.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by one of the ladies working there (for the sake of the story, we will call her Aisling). She was friendly and accommodating. We would later meet, Denise, the homeowner and would catch a glimpse of her children as they ran through the house.
Keep your ears open. Irish is their first language so you may pick up on a word or two. The treasures of Ireland.
We were led to our room named The Cliff. Our room consisted of a double and twin bed both facing the Atlantic Ocean.
From the windows, we have an unobstructed view of the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters, An Triúr Deirfiúr, are a group of three peaks at the northwestern end of the Dingle Peninsula. The view is spectacular, even Boulder had to photo bomb a few of our pictures.
After tearing our eyes away for the view out our window, the next thing we noticed was how CLEAN our room was. We mean, white gloves spotless.
The color scheme created a feeling of relaxation and coziness. Hues of calming grays and light blues really set the tone. The vanity with its pop of orange added a bit of whimsy to the room.
We were offered tea and cake while we were settling our things in our room. Aisling, brought us up a tray of delicious tea and scrumptious sweets. This was a nice touch as we had been driving around the Dingle area for some time.
After we were settled in our room, we went back downstairs to check out the common area. The living room and common areas located downstairs were equipped to meet the needs of any traveler. There was a place to make tea, a table to play games, and the lighting was perfect to pull out your book and get cozy.
Their WiFi is strong and reaches the entire house; this is an added bonus. Phone calls, video-calls, and movie watching can be done in the privacy of your room. We have stayed in other B&Bs, and the WiFi is only available in the common area, not too fun when you want to use your doggie-voice to say goodnight to your fur baby.
An Riasc has mastered the art of hospitality. It is everything you wish and hope for in an overnight stay.
The morning breakfast was amazing. The bed and breakfast offers locally sourced foods and is made to order. There is no need to be in a hurry as it is well worth the wait. Check the An Riasc website for a copy of their menu as it will change seasonally.
Here’s a sample of breakfast:
Chocolate croissants and small danishes with coffee
Porridge with local honey, raisins, cream, brown sugar
Traditional Irish Breakfast: eggs, blood pudding, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms.
If we could have figured out how to leave with a doggie-bag, we would have taken everything. #fullasatick
The friendliness of the owners and the staff, the coziness of all the rooms, and the cleanliness of all areas make An Riasc a delight. The little touches and pops of color took the hard stone exterior and created a relaxing and welcoming place to stay.
We highly recommend this bed and breakfast.
Our one negative is the cows. Not the cows themselves, but them moo-ing all night during our first night there. We bring this up only if you have small children who may not understand the reason behind the crying.
We learned the next morning at breakfast why the cows were crying. Typical with most B&B’s, you share your meals with those staying in the home. Between sips of coffee, we started chatting with another couple. They were Irish farmers who were on their holiday. We mentioned the cows.
In their cheery Irish voices, they explained that those were the mother cows crying for their babies. Their babies had been separated from them and sold that day.
Connie and I looked at each other.*gulp* We both were shocked and wanted to cry. The couple then said that that is normal and the cows will be quiet the next night. Sure enough, not a peep. #mommydearest
An Riasc comes with our highest recommendation and we want you to be aware of the cows. They are not really a negative, only a concern for younger children who might hear them crying.
Do you have any stories or recommendations of fantastic bed and breakfasts on the Dingle Peninsula? Share with us!