The Merchant's House, KILRUSH, COUNTY CLARE

Rated 5/50 by Kate G on 21st June 2017

"The Merchant's House is a MUST stay if you are traveling in County Clare or on the Wild Atlantic Way. Kilrush is a small city with so much to offer! And the Merchant's House is located right in the center! Close to pubs, restaurants, and grocery stores, everything you need is within 5 minutes of walking/driving. We loved to sit at the widows of this two story flat and watch the locals in their daily life. The Merchant's House offers all one needs for a comfortable and relaxing stay. We spent a lot of time in the parlor/sitting room. You can light a fire on cold nights. In the town there are many small quaint shops that you can't miss! Check out the VanDeleur walled gardens for some beautiful plants and history. Scattery Island is seriously a MUST and you can get to it from the marina in Kilrush. Paul the owner is so friendly and welcoming, always available for anything you may need. He even gave us a tour of the Merchant's Store (rental below us) and some history of the houses. If I could give more stars I would! I would stay here again in a heartbeat!"

Rated 5/50 by Angela B on 26th March 2017

Rated 5/50 by Avril B on 29th May 2016

"The Merchant's House was a welcoming,comfortable home away from home. Paul met us and gave all the information we needed to make our visit happy and interesting for first time visitors to this part of Ireland."

Rated 5/50 by DidiSjo on 3rd November 2015

"I absolutely adored my time here, and daydream often of Kilrush and The Merchant's House. I'm frightfully lazy about leaving reviews, but I think of this place every once in a while and smile, so I figured I should finally leave one! My Mum and I stayed here for a few nights in late March and had a wonderful time. The Gleesons were very accommodating and made sure we felt right at home. In person the Merchant's House is even more adorable than the photos, and the many small details like books and artwork make the place feel very homey. I found that the rooms were all very spacious, and the large kitchen was a treat. The weather when we were there was chilly, but with the fireplace lit it was very manageable. One of my favorite parts of the apartment were the large windows with a view overlooking the market square. The central Kilrush location really cannot be beaten! The car park is only a few steps away, and you can also walk anywhere in town. Aside from the usual pubs, there is a good bakery called Considine's just down the street, and if you walk a bit past that you will reach the shore and a marina. I would also urge you to have a look around Gleeson's hardware store, just down the street, as it carries much more than just hardware. The best souvenir of the whole trip was a darling little mug with a strawberry motif that I purchased there. The Merchant's House is a great place to stay. I has character, history, and is large and comfortable. It's the kind of place you are happy to relax in after a long day of site-seeing. In the future I would love to return!"

Rated 5/50 by Elisecas on 28th September 2014

"The accommodation is beautiful and the location is perfect for a quiet, authentic Irish coastal town holiday. The first thing to say about this gorgeously restored apartment is that it is much, much bigger than it looks in these photos. We were really surprised to find that the kitchen is large and has an adjoining butlers pantry; the living room is much bigger than we expected; and the bedrooms and bathrooms are on a separate floor, up a large, wide, winding staircase. It's been beautifully restored and one suspects Farrow and Ball played a significant part in the decor. We deliberately sought out lovely accommodations as we wanted a place where we would feel happy and spoiled about having nights in with a DVD and staying in for supper; we were tired, and just wanted a rest. But we also knew that we would be bored of that after a few days and so we also looked for a town with a quiet, friendly population and exploring to be had within short distances. We found that spot here. The town of Kilrush is quiet - perhaps because we went at the end of September - and was perfect for what we were seeking. We wanted a town with one or two local pubs populated by friendly locals and served food, in a town by the sea, with a little to explore by car in the vicinity. That is what Kilrush is; it's not got a huge nightlife and you'd be sorely disappointed if you were looking for a party town, but if you want genuinely low-key high-friendliness Ireland, you can find it here. Sites like TripAdvisor will tell you about Crotty's pub (which serves lovely Guinness and great, though somewhat overpriced food) and the Buggles Bar (with free wifi and friendly owners who are happy to chat to blow-ins like us). However, we recommend you seek out Johnsons Bar, opposite Gleeson's Hardware store: the Guinness is fresh and the banter is friendly and, if you're really lucky, you may even get invited to join a lock-in without even noticing it happened. That all sounds glowing, so were there any drawbacks? Well... in terms of the flat, we could have done with some instructions on how to use the cooker, and the en suite shower is a bit small and that bathroom has no shelves. The staircases, particularly as you enter the flat, are rather steep and the television is very small. It would also be very hard to stay here without a car, though I suppose you could easily get here by taxi from Shannon airport. Overall we loved the short time we stayed here. We were supposed to stay a week, but our time in Kilrush was cut way too short due to being called home. We hope we'll go back to finish what we started, and see the dolphins the bay."