Cooil East is in the wild part of Valentia, on the Wild Atlantic Way. We believe it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
You will have the entire very large upstairs floor to yourselves, with unobstructed views of the Skelligs, the Blaskets, and the Dingle Peninsula. Not to mention the best sunsets on Valentia! Great care and love was put in crafting our upstairs floor to make guests feel very comfortable and welcomed, fully experiencing the special place Valentia is.
The space
Cooil East is in the 'wild' part of Valentia Island, Kerry. You will have the entire very large upstairs floor to yourselves.
Valentia Island is on the Iveragh Peninsula, just off the Ring of Kerry, and part of the Skellig Ring. It is also on the Wild Atlantic Way and part of the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve. Maybe we are prejudiced, having chosen to move from Rio to Valentia, but we believe it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
You will be able to experience this in Cooil East, with completely unobstructed views in all directions of the Skelligs, the Blaskets, and the Dingle Peninsula, as well as the surrounding nature, history, archaeology, and social life. Not to mention the best sunsets on Valentia! Great care and love was put in crafting our upstairs floor in such a way that guests feel very comfortable and welcomed, fully experiencing the special place that Valentia is.
We are 3 minutes away by car from Chapeltown, and less than 10 minutes from Knightstown (Valentia's 'capital') and from Portmagee village. The local 'metropolis', Cahersiveen, is 18km away. Music is often played in the pubs and restaurants (and if you play an instrument you may be invited to join in).
You can get to Valentia Island either by the bridge at Portmagee (year round) or the ferry from Renard (from May to September/October).
Cooil, the upstairs floor of our house, is extremely spacious (circa 130m2), with a flow of light and views throughout. It can accommodate 6 people very comfortably (with room for an extra child and infant if needed).
The Skelligs bedroom has a double bed, a mini kitchen, and an en suite bathroom. The large Blaskets bedroom has a double bed and a day bed that can be either a single or double bed, plus a working desk (and it still feels very spacious). In the bedroom part of the living room there is a day bed that can be a single or double bed, plus a recess built in bed that children love. It also has the second bathroom. The living room includes a table for dining and a smaller one. Cooking facilities include a double air frier, a mini-kitchen (with an oven and two hobs), and a slow cooker. There are also two small fridges, a microwave, a coffee-machine, a toaster, and two kettles. There are plenty of cupboards and chests of drawers. The timber floor is wild birch throughout, and the Velux windows have both blinds and blackouts. Ceiling and side lamps, cushions, as well as extra pillows, guarantee comfort and a good feeling, either for getting ready to enjoy and discover or to stay in, contemplate the views of the Skelligs, the Blaskets, and the sunset, see the birds that regularly fly around, read a book, play, enjoy a drink, in short feel at home here.
The stairs are made of ash and very nice. At the top, bookshelves run along both sides of it.
Many birds can be seen around Cooil East: kestrels, buzzards, and other birds of prey; choughs, at times ravens, large numbers of starlings and swallows; garden and songbirds, such as robins, wagtails, finches. An added bonus is that because we are high up and there is a slope in front of us, you can often gaze out at a kestrel hovering, or other birds of prey hunting. There are hares in abundance – and if you are lucky baby hares. Seals and their pups hang around near the bridge and in Beginish island. Near to us, there are also wild goats, and lots of sheep and cows. Whales and dolphins can at times be spotted from Bray Head.
If you enjoy discovering amazing possibilities in terms of nature and 'wilderness', history, archaeology, and social life, a special connection with a place, while feeling pampered and comfortable, Cooil East is the place for you, your family, and your friends.
Guest access
Our house is on a private road, with the nearest neighbour 500 meters away. You will enter through the house main door and will have the whole of our very large upstairs floor for yourself. Parking is available on the property.
Other things to note
There are plenty of walks to do around Cooil East. In the field beside us is a Megalithic tomb and monastic site, while we are also near Cillíns (touching burial sites of unbaptized children), and Brendan's Well and the north side of the island with its rockpools and Pol Gorm pool for swimming. Down the road is Valentia Island candles and round the corner are the Valentia Bee Beds.
Among other highlights of Valentia Island are Geokaun mountain, Glanleam gardens and Glanleam beach, the slate quarry with its beautiful views, the Lighthouse, the Tetrapod Trackway (385Ma, take or leave a few million, the tracks of one of the first animals to walk on land), Bray Head – with the ruins of Crompeol Gaelic village, monastic huts and engravings, Kilmore graveyard and its medieval church, Valentia Heritage Centre, the Valentia Cable Station with its exhibition related to the first successful Transatlantic telegraph cable, linking Valentia to Heart's Content, Newfoundland, in 1866.
You are also perfectly located to visit to Beginish Island (boat tours with Kerry Aqua Terra), and the Skelligs (landing trips on Skellig Michael from May to September, weather and availability permitting; booking directly with the operators, well in advance, is strongly recommended).
And to explore slightly further afield:
- Cahersiveen (18 km): The Barracks, Daniel O'Connell Memorial Church, the old church and graveyard, the nearby forts of Cahergall and Lecanabuile, Ballycarberry castle (once the seat of the MacCarthy Mór lordship), the White Strand beach, Daniel O'Connell's birth place, Coonana pier
- Ballinaskelligs (20 km): the main beach, with the MacCarthy castle and the Abbey, practice your Irish at the Café Cóis Trá, the beautiful Renroe beach, Cill Riáda
- Waterville (20km): the village, the promenade, local pubs, restaurants, Lough Currane (there are trips on the lake, weather and availability permitting) (also the golf courses), megalithic monuments related to Gaelic mythology and the Song of Amergin
- Caherdaniel, and Derrynane (35km): the Blind Piper pub, Derrynane abbey and graveyard, Derrynane beaches, Derrynane house (Daniel O'Connell) and gardens
- Rossbeigh, and Glenbeigh (35km): the beautiful strand, The Old Glenbeigh Hotel.
(Tours to some of the above sites available through A Sense of Place - Kerry).
