Irish Cottages for activity holidays
Self-catering accommodation for adventure, activity & special interest holidays in Ireland

The focus of the Travel-Quest site is on activity and special interest holidays, our accommodation sections are there to help you find all types of accommodation to complete your activity holiday when it's not provided as part of a package or when you want to create your own DIY activity break. This section looks at self-catering villas across Ireland, in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Self-catering is a good choice in Ireland, there is a plentiful stock of holiday homes and self-catering is a cheaper option in a country that became expensive during it's 'Celtic Tiger' boom time, and which can still be pricey in tourist hot-spots. Ireland has a lot to offer; rural landscapes of mountain, moorland, coastline and lake; prehistoric sites, medieval castles, traditional Irish music, pretty harbour villages, lively Dublin. Plus lots of activity holiday options, from golf to surfing and from riding to cycling.

Ireland self-catering for cultural, activity and special interest holidays

A fabulous country for active holidays of all types, an Irish self-catering break will suit surfers, fishermen, musicians, golfers, photographers, artists, horse riders, walkers, cyclists ...

Cycling: Ireland is good for cycling but try to use routes on the by-roads and lanes as main roads can get very busy! There are marked cycle lanes in some areas, but they tend to be fairly narrow sections of the main road rather than separate paths. There are also some way-marked cycle routes and the Irish tourist board and local tourist offices will have information on these. Take your own bike if you can as cycle hire can work out to be fairly expensive.

Mountain Biking: is good too and there are some purpose built mountain bike trails as well as a lot other well-used routes; the site trailbadger» has an excellent map and information on these.

Walking: walking is an excellent way to enjoy the Irish landscape, be it wild moorland, rugged coastline or the hills of Kerry and Connemara. Useful information about walking in Ireland can be found on the Citizens Information Board site». Walkers and cyclists take note, decent maps can sometimes be hard to find locally so get them in advance and bring them with you.

Fishing: Ireland is one of the most popular angling holiday destinations and offers great opportunities for coarse fishing, fly fishing and deep sea angling. For self-catering fishing holidays, one of the booking engines we list provides a dedicated fishing cottages list». If you're self-catering you'll probably need to sort out your own licences and permits, here».

Golfing: Golf is the largest single sporting attraction for visitors to Ireland. It has an international reputation for its world-class resorts and championship courses. There are over 400 golf courses to choose from, making arranging a DIY golf holiday simply a case of booking suitable self-catering property close to the links of your choice. Try the dedicated golf holidays» booking engine on our search page.

Other activities: On the less energetic side there is wildlife watching with whales and dolphins in the South West; traditional Irish music in places like Galway, Killarney and Doolin (considered to be the center of Irish music); some of Europe's finest castles spread throughout the country; and of course Irish beer and whiskey to be savoured!

Irish house and cottage styles
Traditional Irish cottages: Rural holiday rentals may be in traditional Irish cottages; these croft-style homes are generally single storey (or may have small attic rooms) and are built of stone or mud with whitewashed walls. Half-doors and and open turf fires were traditional, but will probably have been replaced in renovated holiday properties. Although many now have slate roofs, some will be still be thatched in traditional style – these are popular as holiday homes so early booking is advised, coastal areas in particular seem to be the place to seek them out. You will also find some more modern holiday houses using thatch, giving them added charm and a more traditional feel.

Newer build properties: During the 'Celtic Tiger' years (1994–2007) an enormous house building boom was seen across Ireland, much of it holiday homes built for investment. The global financial crisis put paid to that, but it does mean that there is a now lot of this type of property available for holiday rental. A lot of the new builds will be bungalow-style, sometimes with dormers providing upper floor rooms. You'll also find larger family homes and there are plenty of flats and apartments in cities and towns like Dublin and Cork.

A word on the weather
Ireland's weather and climate is similar to that of mainland Britain; fairly temperate and without too many extremes. Remember that Ireland isn't called the 'Emerald Isle' for no reason and that it's the rain that makes the grass grow! The country gets a high rainfall and gets wetter as you go west, County Kerry being the wettest.

Unusual self-catering accommodation in Ireland

Ireland has its share of unusual places to stay from self-catering castles to lighthouse properties, some are listed on the accommodation search page», or try our unique accommodation guides» for ideas.

EcoBooley Self Catering Cottages: One interesting development is the Irish Eco-Cottage (Tourism Development) Project, this is an effort to reclaim some of the many abandoned crofts and homesteads and turn them into eco-friendly self-catering holiday cottages. These are simple properties often sited in beautiful and remote areas of rural Ireland and the restorations use only eco-friendly materials and technologies.

For a fast search try our booking engines for self-catering accommodation in Ireland. But we've also got reviews and links to privately owned cottages, crofts and holiday houses that can be booked direct with the owner.