— WHITE CAT COTTAGE —
Garrykennedy, County Tipperary, Ireland

THE ACCOMMODATION: White Cat Cottage is a small house on a rural lane less than a minute from the hamlet of Garrykennedy, Ireland. The cottage is elevated on an over-planted lot which is private, secluded, and quiet. The one-story house sleeps up to 6 persons in three double bedrooms (one with twin beds, one with a double bed, and one with bunk beds), making it fine for families. Happily, there are two full bathrooms, one with a tub/shower and one with shower only. A large living room and eat-in kitchen complete the interior. Outside, there is patio furniture and a quiet, secluded spot to enjoy an outdoor meal. A local resident serves as hostess, who greets guests and answers any questions about the cottage or the locale.

                    WHITE CAT COTTAGE IN AUTUMN.

THE SETTING: Garrykennedy hamlet is at the end of the road on an inlet, a natural harbor on Ireland’s largest lake, Lough Derg, part of the Shannon waterway, which extends from the Atlantic Ocean east and north all the way to Northern Ireland.. Here many Irish keep their boats at the protected marina, giving Garrykennedy a decidedly nautical feel. Otherwise, Garrykennedy is little more than two pubs and a few cottages in a very pretty part of Ireland. While there’s not much to the hamlet of Garrykennedy, what there is is convenient, beautiful and entertaining.

GARRYKENNEDY HARBOR & RUINED CASTLE TOWER

        The commercial district is made up of two pubs (one with a grocery store). Both pubs (Ciss Ryan’s and Larkin’s) serve meals and feature live Irish music on many evenings during the warm months. For a broad choice of restaurants, shops, and services, the Northern Tipperary market town of Nenagh is about 15 minutes east, and the twin towns of Killaloe & Ballina about 15 minutes south. The small, historic city of Limerick is south of Garrykennedy, 45 minutes away by car. Ireland’s capital city and cultural center, Dublin, is two hours northeast of Garrykennedy.

LARKINS PUB: TRADITIONAL IRISH
MUSIC, FOOD, & DRINK, GARRYKENNEDY

LOCATION: Garrykennedy is in County Tipperary, the center of the Republic of Ireland. The region is rural, scenic and historic. The land is hilly and wooded. There are many farms, most concerned with dairy cows or sheep production. The landscape is dotted with small towns and villages, each appearing more attractive than the last, for Tipperary is a prosperous part of Ireland. Tipperary’s central location makes it a great base from which most of Ireland south of Northern Ireland, including coastal lands east, west, and south may be explored in a series of long and short day trips. But Tipperary is itself worthy of exploration. The region’s beauty, its friendly, welcoming residents, its castles, golf courses, music, food, easy hiking, salmon fishing, and many other attractions combine to provide Tipperary with the best of Ireland.

ACTIVITIES: There are castles in all states of repair, from ruined towers to privately owned palaces. There’s golf, too, locally in parkland courses, and on the easy to reach coasts at famed championship links courses like Ballybunion and LaHinch. There’s walking on trails that crisscross the varied landscape, including the 40-mile-long Lough Derg Way which passes through Garrykennedy. And there’s good fishing in and around Lough Derg and the Shannon. There’s good food here, too, hearty local Irish food—steaks and salmon and lamb and potatoes and garden greens—as well fine foods from the Continent and the ocean.

THE LOUGH DERG HIKING & BIKING TRAILS PASS THROUGH GARRYKENNEDY.

        There is a wide variety of shops and restaurants. The market towns of Nenagh and Killaloe are 15-minute drives from Garrykennedy, and both offer good shopping and eating choices.

AVAILABILITY: For current availability information, call HOME AT FIRST at (800) 523-5842, or contact us by e-mail at:  info@homeatfirst.com

More information about HOME AT FIRST's travel program to: CENTRAL IRELAND