Meet Lucy
Outgoing, Creative, Cultured
I like to cater a guests stay to their needs. If a guests wants to be given information on the local area or would like me to interact with them I can do that but can also leave them in privacy!
On a typical day...
I'm an early bird.
When I host guests...
I can answer questions but let my guests do their own thing.
Family Hobbies
Tennis, Cycling, Fitness, gym, Cooking, Gardening
Hosting guests since
2016
About the Homestay
- Welcomes
- Males
- Females
- Couples
- Families
- Students
The Old Monastery was a Christian Brothers period home for more than 100 years which was bought by my family in the 1990s. Originally built as a merchant’s home, it retains the old charm and elegance with beautiful wooden floors and stained glass windows. The charming Victorian family home is situated in three quarters of an acre of secluded gardens in the centre of the beautiful Cahersiveen, at the foot of Beentee Mountain and mouth of the Fertha River. Please read all information before booking!
You will have access to your bedroom, the bathroom and showers. You will also have access to the kitchen where we have a beautiful old Aga, you can cook if you like but will have to provide you own food (you may use my cooking utensils and necessary basics such as salt, pepper, oils and spices) other than breakfast which is included. Breakfast is continental made up of locally sourced foods and will either be served in the dining room downstairs which feature long church pews and views of the garden or in the old farmhouse style kitchen with views of the garden and Cnoc na dTobar Mountain. You may also use the library which is full of books for all ages and interests and the sitting room which has a gas fire and television. We have a lovely terrace in the garden with a barbeque area where you can sit out on nice evenings beneath the cherry blossom tree and cook all you like.
The Old Monastery is a place to come for a unique stay in an old house full of history and charm. You will be warmly welcomed into my home and I hope that all guests feel at home here, I love this area and very much and want all my guests to experience it to its fullest so I will be at hand to give lots of local tips on food, things to see, places to go etc.
The toilets are shared as are the shower rooms however all toilets and showers rooms have latches on the inside of the doors.
However, this is not a typical Irish B&B, it is a family home, it is important to know that. The breakfast I serve is not a fry, it is a continental breakfast featuring food from local suppliers such as breads, cheeses, muesli, yoghurt, jams, fruit, pastries and other local specialities all depending on seasonal availability. The bedroom doors don't have locks as they are old solid wooden doors, they keys of which were lost many moons ago.
A stay in the Old Monastery is a chance to stay in a building of great historical significance. To meet people who uphold the values of kindness and generosity that we Irish are so famous for, to eat food of local produce and have a stay in a true Irish country home in a authentic town steeped in history and surrounded by natural beauty!
House Facilities
- Garden
- Laundry
- Parking
- Internet Access
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
Cahersiveen is a great town with fantastic local produce, we have many award winning seafood restaurants as well as pubs serving local lamb from the mountains along with other local produce. The pubs are old and authentic with many playing traditional music on various nights. There are walking groups and tours locally that you can join to explore the beautiful mountains and magnificent Wild Atlantic Way scenery. Many white uncrowded beaches are just a short cycle or drive away as are Bronze Age Fairy Forts, the ruins of 16th century Ballycarbery Castle and Ireland's longest rope bridge and sub tropical fern forest. Just outside of Cahersiveen is the Dark Sky Reserve; this is a protected area and has been recognised as the best area in the Northern Hemisphere to view the stars due to the lack of light pollution. http://kerrydarksky.com/ (more info here)
There are buses travelling to and from Killarney daily, Killarney (approx 1 hour away) is a large tourist town boasting magnificent lakes, from here you can get the train or bus to many different destination in Ireland. There are also buses going through Cahersiveen which do the Ring of Kerry route http://www.theringofkerry.com/ (more info here). You can access the magnificent Valentia Island by car ferry and I can recommend to you the local bike hire http://www.bikehirekerry.com/ where you can get bikes and helmets for all ages as well as maps of local routes to cater to all abilities of cyclists. If you have your own bikes you may lock them in my shed at night.
Local Area Facilities
- Beach
- Bus Stop
Meals
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals, including a full breakfast, might incur an additional cost, if offered. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Complimentary Light Breakfast
- Use of Kitchen
House Rules
- Checkout is 10am.
-Check in after 6.30pm
These times are flexible, just message me in advance to let me know what your needs are! This is my home and so I expect you to treat as you would like your home to be treated. When using communal areas I ask that you please use them as you found them, this means cleaning all utensils and surfaces used if cooking or preparing meals in the kitchen, leaving the sitting room in a state that it ready for someone else to use and not dragging sand etc in from the beach!
-Payment: Payments should be made at least one week prior to arrival via bank transfer. Please contact me regarding bank details upon booking.
Smoking Rules
Your host is a non-smoker.
Smoking is not allowed.
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings) using a choice of payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal (not available in certain countries). You then pay your host on arrival or as stated by your host on their profile and agreed by you on booking. Please be cautious if a host requests advance payment if its not included on their profile. Our hosts have been advised that if they wish to request advance payment they must make this explicit in their profile. We do not recommend the use of Money gram or Western Union.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.