A new home for Sawday's Special Self-Catering Places in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Eire, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

Curl up with a good book by a crackling turf fire after a day's walking and exploring at this simply furnished and delightful cottage

"Irish poets, earn your trade. Sing whatever is well made..." Deep in Yeats' country, poets and musicians gather in Gurteen; just a kilometre away this cottage embodies all that is best about Irish tradition. Your welcome is warm and fulsome from Kieran: a turf fire crackles, there are fresh flowers in every room, homemade apple pie and a bottle of wine waiting to be tucked into. Rooms are simply furnished, bright and cosy: the country cottage kitchen has a Stanley stove, an old sewing machine and a scullery to hide the dishes for another time. Rooms upstairs have yellow walls, pine wardrobes and great brass beds from the days when Kieran's granny lived here. The sitting room has jolly throws on thick sofas and a red bricked fire, perfect for evenings tucked up with one of the many books on the shelves. Set by the banks of the Ownemore river, there are walks from the door, with paths thoughtfully mown through the wild grasses by your host. Further afield: a farmers' market at Boyle, beaches at Strandhill, boat trips on the Shannon. Pure Ireland, and absolutely delightful.