Adare Village is just south of Limerick, and a nice place to stay 'out of the city.' Bridie is your…read morehostess and her husband Sean runs Sean Collins & Son's Bar just next door. Which coincidentally, is where you check in and get your key.
This is not a B&B, as there is no breakfast provided, however, we don't eat breakfast so the coffee and tea available in the room was just perfect for us! If however, you are a breakfast eater, there are a few places in walking distance where you can get yourself a 'Full Irish' or something lighter.
Bridie gave us a quick tour of the Inn, where to park, the iron and ironing board, the fridge, the keys and locks. She also gave us lots of info on the town and surrounding area which was very useful and 'spot on.'
Parking is ample, but a bit tricky the first time. So, just after (or before if coming from the south) Sean Collins & Son's bar, turn into the alley way (see the photo) and follow it down to the left (the only way you can go). You'll see a corrugated metal building and a cinder block building as you make that left turn in the alley (another photo of this). Look to your left after that corrugated building and you'll see the entrance to the parking (see the photos again for what that looks like).
Now, the one real trick to the parking is: one of you needs to go in the front door of the Inn, and open the back door that leads onto the parking area. For your safety, that door is kept locked from the outside, but opens from the inside as it is an emergency exit. A heavy door stop is kept just inside so you can prop the door open to carry in your bags. Like I said, first time it's a bit of an adventure, but after that, it's easy peasy. If you are traveling solo, you can easily bring the bag back down the alley way and enter at the sidewalk entrance.
Bridie and Sean, although very busy managing their businesses, are very laid back, easy to talk with and knowledgeable about Adare and Ireland in general. We had dinner in Sean's pub once (my husbands favorite stew in all of Ireland - seriously) and spent a couple of evenings there chatting with locals after a day of touring. They have live music a couple nights a week.
I love, love the sheets Bridie uses on the very comfortable beds. They are soft and sturdy. The towels too! They were absolutely the thickest towels we had on our two week trip (although one place did come close). The rooms are very clean, you have everything you need, tea, coffee, a fridge (in the hall, shared by all guests), a luggage rack (not all hotels had one), shampoo, soap, plenty of T.P., and my favorite: wash clothes! So many hotels throughout Europe, even the best one's, do NOT provide wash clothes! I really appreciate the places that have them available (and pack some from home for those that do not). In room wi-fi is included as well.
The room had enough space to be comfortable, had nice touches like decorative pillows, a TV mounted to the wall above the desk and you control your own heat. Remember to bring your adapter for the outlets, and to turn the outlets 'on' before use and 'off' when you are done.
Just FYI, when driving into Adare from the North, the Inn will be on your left, after the N21 curves to the left, just a few buildings down, so slow down and keep an eye open. You can park on the street, or pull into the alley after Sean Collin's bar and park behind the Inn, then walk back down to Sean Collin's bar to check in. We took time to wander Adare which is a very pleasant village. We tried a few restaurants and all were good, plus we popped into the grocery to check out the products (and maybe buy a food gift).
Your hostess Bridie really makes this place. She is very personable. Whenever we would see her she took time to chat with us and we just enjoy her company so much! For an economical trip through Ireland, you can depend on the Adare Village Inn to be clean and comfortable with a charming hostess.
