Railway Lodge

Carmel is the sixth generation of her family to live in the Oughterard area and the first to be more interested in interior design than the Connemara ponies that her family has always raised. Named Railway Lodge because it stands adjacent to a former railway line—now a walking path—the house has a modern exterior and country style interior. There’s a snug parlor with a fire and a sunny conservatory overlooking the rolling gorse and distant mountains. Stylish bedrooms have queen-sized beds with crisp white sheets and duvets, and antique pine furniture—each with a top-of-the-line shower room. For dinner we walked the ten minutes into Oughterard and Carmel lent us a flashlight to guide us home. Breakfast proved to be a sumptuous affair. The offer of fresh-baked scones and bread and poached fruit led us to decline the offer of a cooked breakfast. If you would like to stay for a week Carmel has a lovely one bedroom cottage in the garden. Lough Corrib is a popular fishing venue. Non-fisher types enjoy spectacular drives through rugged countryside and trips to islands on the lough.