I'm just back from my holiday in Ireland, the last two nights of which were spent at the Railway Lodge, which I highly recommend. The house itself is situated off the main road, down a country lane, and is blissfully free from any traffic/urban noise!

We were greeted by the owner with a very welcome tray of tea and delicious home-baking - a personal touch I vastly appreciated. The guest areas are well-stocked with local menus, tourist attraction information and beautiful hardbacked books on the history and heritage of Connemara. Further, the owner - Carmel - recommended us some beautiful shops in the neaby area stocking very tasteful crafts and souvenirs - not a shamrock or leprichaun in sight! It's this insight that can really help!

The bedroom was beautiful - fresh crisp linen, bountiful soft towels, and all very tastefully decorated. And - bliss - there was no TV in the room! The whole guest house was perfect for reading, relaxing, and appreciating the peace and tranquility of Connemara.

Breakfast was delicious and very filling, with Carmel catering for all tastes (as veggies we'd worried about finding any suitable food but there was loads - fruit salad, yoghurt, free-range eggs, breads, veggie sausage...)...

As you can see, I'd a great time there - it was the perfect end to a really fantastic trip. Plus I'm a stingy Scot and rarely bother to review any hotels I stay in, so this really did have to stand out in order to provoke all my typing!