Letterdyfe House

English summary

For more than 50 years, a Dutch cooperative has been custodian for Letterdyfe house, a country home in Connemara. It all started in 1961 with the Dutch nature lover Hein Buisman who bought the estate. After his sudden death, the care of the house was continued in 1963 by a cooperative of some 30 members who are committed to the preservation of this Irish cultural and natural heritage. The house is open to the members, their family and friends as well as others who seek peace and inspiration and want to discover and cherish the beautiful nature of Connemara.

Letterdyfe House is rented on a self-catering basis and it has 7 bedrooms. On the ground floor there are 2 sitting rooms, a large dining room and a dining kitchen.

Letterdyfe House has a library with information about the house and surrounding area. There are games and jigsaws available. Inside the house is a no-smoking rule.  Pets and camping equipment are not allowed on site.

Bedrooms and bathroom facilities

The 7 bedrooms are provided with bed linen and towels. (2 x single rooms, 3 x doubles, and 2 x quadruples). A total of 16 beds. There are two baby cots that can be placed in the bedrooms. There is a wash-hand-basin in all rooms.

On the bedroom floor there are 2 showers, 1 with toilet. There are also two bathrooms with bath and toilet. The ground floor has 2 toilets.

Home managers

Sarah and Nigel have been managers of the house since November 2016. They live in the small annex to Letterdyfe House (Lits Letterdyfe). Sarah can  tell you where to find mussels and oysters, arrange a taxi, give hiking advice and much more. Ask her about the possibilities: (letterdyfehouse@gmail.com) For a small fee Nigel will take you by boat to the village or further up the bay for a walk on an uninhabited island.

The garden

A romantic flowing stream, large old trees, longstanding Rhododendron thickets intertwined with walkways and footpaths. Beautiful views to the bay where the otters and seals sometimes pop up. But also a badger set and the mysterious tree marten. It all belongs in this special parkland garden. Via a narrow path you walk straight into the bog at the back of the house, climbing into the foothills of the 300 meter Errisbeg and looking out over a landscape of hundreds of lakes with no fields or roads. At the front, the garden reaches into the bay with the 3-island peninsula Inishnee.

History

The house was built in 1885 by Henry Robinson, rent collector for Ballynahinch Castle. He also had a special park garden constructed with many exotic trees.

When Henry died in 1916, his daughter Olive Muriel Robinson continues to live in the house. She starts a guest house almost exclusively for ladies. In the 1950s, the running of the Muriel guesthouse became too much for her and in 1961 she sold Letterdyfe House to the Dutch butter merchant Hein Buisman. In 1963 the Nederlandse Coöperatieve Vereniging Letterdyfe House was founded. From that time on the members and their friends have taken care of the house by rolling up their sleeves to maintain it and the gardens plus adjacent forest. The daily care is in the hands of the local housekeeper and gardener.

The village

Tucked away in the bay and a fifteen minute walk from the house is the quaint fishing village of Roundstone. A great place for a stop at the local pubs for good cappuccino or a pint and a plateful of fresh fish. There are several shops for the daily necessities. Extensive shopping is available at a 20-minute drive in Clifden (www.clifden.ie). 

www.roundstone.ie

Nearby activities

There is more to experience and discover than you would expect. A selection of the many possibilities: Directly beyond Roundstone are the most beautiful beaches in Ireland at Gurteen and Dog’s Bay. For the more adventurous hikers they can explore the Twelve Bens. An evening stroll on the Post Road behind the house brings you there and back in one hour in a circular walk.

For educational trips visit the Marconi Station site with a self-guided tour near Ballyconneely as well as the landing place of the transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown.

Large sections of the old railroad from Galway to Clifden have now been converted into a cycle Greenway.

The Bog road is also for the real hiker, going to Clifden on foot via the Bog road which is a beautiful experience. It is a quiet narrow road with beautiful views of mountains and bogs.

Public transport

There are limited bus connections to Clifden and Galway