Sleeps 8 - New to Market Price From: €760 per week This architecturally restored cottage captures light from every carefully designed window feature, enhancing the space and comfort all year round. Surrounded by a landscaped garden of beautiful flowers, shrubs and 5 acres of wild Connemara terrain, the house overlooks the Atlantic Ocean to the front and eastwards and rear towards the “Twelve Bens” mountains. Ceannabhán Cottage, a newly refurbished family home set in a stunning location overlooking Mannin Bay in Connemara, Co. Galway. Situated in the town land of Derrigimlagh on the main Clifden to Ballyconnelly Road, this luxury family home is finished to the highest standard with all modern conveniences and is tastefully furnished throughout. The property has double glazed windows and is oak floored; it is centrally heated with oil-fired radiators and under floor heating in the tiled kitchen area. These features make it a wonderful cosy winter haven, and in summer, double doors opening onto the entrance patio make it a unique location. There are 4 bedrooms, 2 x twins and 1 x double en-suite downstairs. Upstairs there is a magnificent master bedroom with dressing area and large en-suite. The living / dining area retains featured high ceilings, an open fireplace and comfortable sofa and chairs. A large oak dining table and high-backed leather chairs seat 8 diners and can extend if required. There is a flat screen television, SKY box and DVD player provided for your pleasure. The living area leads into the modern fully fitted, hand-crafted kitchen which includes a dishwasher, fridge / freezer, microwave and electric touch control hob and oven. Utensils, cookware, cutlery and crockery to accommodate at least 10 guests provided. There is a utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer and additional storage off the kitchen, and on the main corridor, there is a walk-in hot press and a large family bathroom. One of the most attractive features of the cottage is a spacious minstrel gallery overlooking the living area. This additional living space includes a fully stocked library and a music centre with radio and iPod dock. This modern HD is pre loaded with a wide range of music to suit all tastes. There is also a large sofa-bed and leather chair with foot-stool. The cottage has a large pebble driveway which can accommodate several cars and the entrance to the home is via a patio with a wooden bench that overlooks the gardens and Mainnin Bay. Area Ceannabhan Cottage is conveniently located midway between Clifden and the Connemara Championship Golf Course in Ballyconneely (7 minutes from both!). Within a two minute drive of the cottage there are a number of beautiful coral beaches with easy access and parking alongside the main road. These coral beaches are truly unique aspects of the Connemara coastline. Picturesque in Summertime, the coral retains it's beautiful glow in Wintertime appearing as if a special ray of sunshine is always shining on the beach! Further along this Ballyconneely road towards Roundstone, the large white sandy beaches of 'Dog's Bay' and 'Gurteen' are found. Overlooked by Connemara golf course are a number of other white beaches, across which cattle may be seen strolling home for their evening milking or the local horse riding stables, taking their school of pony trekers for a walk or canter along these sands. Other horse riding stables are located in nearby Errislannen, Claddaghduff and Cleggan. Historic Trivia At the turn of the century Guglielmo Marconi identified Derrigimlagh as the most advantagious location for transatlantic wireless communications between America and Europe. Marconi built his wireless station on a site in the bog directly behind Ceannabhan Cottage. It was opened in 1907 and at its peak employed several hundred staff who transmitted world news between the continents. Among the staff was an engineer by the name of Jack Phillips who went on to become chief radio officer on the Titanic. He lost his life when the ship sank in April 1912. Derrigimlagh was also in the news for the unexpected landing of the first non-stop transatlantic flight by aviators Alcock & Brown. Having endured horrendous weather conditions during their flight in a Vickers Vimy Bomber aircraft , the aviators, who were en-route from Newfoundland to the South coast of England decided to land in what they thought was a field outside Clifden. That field was the bog beside the Marconi station. The date was June 15th 1919. Local lore has it that the aviators thought that the roofs of the buildings which housed the Marconi station were in fact a runway and when the noise of the plane was approaching, the Marconi workers ran outside to warn off the aircraft. Alcock & Brown saw them just in time and crash landed instead in the bog beside the station. Fortunately, they were uninjured and were treated to a hero's welcome in Clifden, after which they continued their journey a few days later to England where they were knighted by King George V. The Marconi wireless station was unfortunately targeted by rebel forces during the Irish War of Independence and burnt to the ground in 1921. It is possible to visit the site of the original wireless station, but very little remains other than the foundations, however, it is impossible not to be struck by the fact that this now quiet bogland was once at the centre of huge world advancements in flight and communications. The Cottage When you open your window blinds in Ceannabhan Cottage in the morning you may find some curious neighbours waiting to greet you! Occasionally cattle or Connemara ponies are grazed in the fields adjacent to the cottage. The ponies are particularly pleased to have company and like to keep an eye out for visitors in the hope that apples are served for lunch! The renowned Connemara Ponies are, as the name suggests, particularly bred in this region. They are to be found in almost every homestead in Connemara grazing in the fields. Described as hardy and lively with eager and trainable temprements, they tend to be long-lived and are excellent mounts for children. They are also thought to be very intelligent.......... perhaps this explains why they always take a great interest in any passing pedestrians. Clifden (An Clochan, meaning "Bee-hive cell") the capital of Connemara The town of Clifden is the busy capital of Connemara. Its shops and amenities include pharmacies, supermarkets, clothes shops and newsagents, bookstores and antique dealers, fish mongers, butchers, bakers and designer label boutiques. There are several art galleries, a small museum and a theatre. This bustling town has many wonderful restaurants and pubs that lay on live music and entertainment all year round. If you want to leave your car behind a taxi into Clifden will cost you €10.