Right down in the south-west corner of County Clare, Loop Head is a magical place with an away-from-it-all atmosphere, dramatic coastal scenery, and a whole range of outdoor activities, including dolphin watching. Add great food and hospitality to the mix and it's easy to see why so many people think this is the best place in Ireland to take a holiday.
And The Old School B&B near Kilbaha could be the perfect place to be based while you explore this wonderful area. Retired teacher Ian Glendinning and his wife, Teresa, whose mother is Irish, relocated from the UK to convert this dilapidated but characterful Victorian schoolhouse into the cosy and welcoming bed and breakfast that it is today, and opened for business in 2011.
It's clearly been a rewarding (albeit occasionally frustrating) journey and along the way they threw themselves enthusiastically into the local community and its sustainable tourism ethos, which is great for the guests who now not only have a lovely homely place to stay but get all the benefit of their local knowledge as well.
The rooms - one on the ground floor and two upstairs on the newly created first floor - are all colourfully decorated and, while simple as befits a B&B, they've been carefully planned to use space well and offer modern comforts including tea and coffee making facilities and (in the two double rooms) television.
Downstairs, there's a lovely big general purpose room with an open fire, comfy seating and a big dining table where breakfast is served - and also off season evening meals on some nights, when Ian (who is a keen cook) runs a Tasty Tuesday supper club on an intriguing "Pay what you think the meal is worth" basis.
Breakfast is designed to be a treat, with lots to choose from, and the menu is an interesting read - there's a bit of history about the room you will be eating it in (in the 1920s, up to 70 children would have been taught here by one teacher!) as well as details of local ingredients, such as meats from local butchers Haughs of Kilkee. Fresh line caught mackerel might be on the menu if you're lucky, and there will usually be smoked fish, which comes from Sealyons down the road at Carrigaholt or The Burren Smokehouse at Lisdoonvarna. Homemade breads and preserves feature too, and packed lunches can happily be made up by arrangement.
There's nothing ordinary about The Old School and it has USPs a-plenty - but what makes it extra special is the hospitality. Ian and Teresa really enjoy sharing their home - and the area around it - with their guests, and it shows.
