It was a absolute joy to experience Cecil's Cottage. A home away from home, modern luxury steeped in tradition. Great accessibility to town, beach, parks etc. Made to feel extremely welcome by Eileen & Seamus! Perfect hosts. Couldn't recommend it highly enough! We'll definitely be back.
Customer Testimonials for Cecils Cottage, Ballynarry, Buncrana
Christmas at Cecils cottage
Second Christmas I have spent with my family at Cecils cottage. There were 10 of us. The owners are very friendly and helpful . The cottage itself spacious v clean with great views. We loved every moment ! I would have no hesitation recommending it. Lovely position. Beautiful beach walks.
Marina - UK - December 2022
Magical :-)
10/10
Liked · Where do I start? The view, the house, the lovely hosts, the beautiful fittings and even eggs, water, milk, bread and a cake in the kitchen upon our arrival - would not know what else to wish for! We have spent so many holidays in Ireland already, but never had the pleasure and privilege to spend it in such a beautiful house. We could not have had a better holiday. We enjoyed every minute of it. Everything was just perfect - also thanks to our very generous and caring hosts!
Disliked · Nothing at all
Michael - Austria - November 2022
"What a welcome from the hosts with treats on arrival.
WOW views and the clean cottage was filled with authentic Irish homestead touches.That said, all the mod conveniences were in place for relaxation and comfort, warm baths and showers on demand and the kitchen was fully stocked - even with a GEORGE FORMAN grill. Sunsets were photographed most nights.
A very short walk from the property DIRECTLY onto a beautiful beach and headland with an optional paved walkway into Buncrana. The beach was spotlessly clean. Surrounded by flora and fauna and wildlife from North Donegal - this is an opportunity to slow the pace down and connect with nature and love the fresh air. Country road walks, friendly locals, and plenty of touring options if you want to explore. Check the ferry times to cross Lough Swilly. We went to beaches galore. Our small dog was delighted to get to know Jessie the donkey. We will be back. While we saw so many lovely holiday homes in Donegal few compared to this in terms of location, privacy and views. We love looking at our photos still !"
John H - July 2020
"I want to leave an excellent review for Cecils cottage Buncrana. We went for Christmas just after my daughters wedding. A family affair. The hosts were most welcoming and helpful. The cottage extremely clean well kitted out and authentic. I give it 10/10 . We loved being so close to beach and only a 3 km walk on coastal path to Buncrana. Would definitely return"
M Campbell - December 2021
"AMAZING"
The best cottage ever - beautiful scenes - beautiful walks - beautiful cottage with breath - taking views and coat hot fire 💛 Owners and Anita are so kind and caring - thank you all for such a wonderful stay 💙
Ruth - February 2019
"Beautiful House in a stunning location"
This was our 2nd stay at Cecil's Cottage. We enjoyed our first stay so much that we simply had to come back. The house is so spacious and beautifully decorated. We were all very comfortable. The living room views over the Lough and mountains are stunning. We walked through 2 fields straight onto the beach. We brought our dog with us and she adored staying as well. We especially loved the donkey, sheep and cows. The location of Cecil's Cottage is a fantastic base for touring around Donegal. We shall definitely be back next year !!
Samantha - August 2019
"What a great place - And fantastic views!"
Set in the beautiful countryside just outside Buncrana and on the edge of Lough Swilly, the traditional cottage has been rebuilt and modernised but very much in keeping with the original. The most outstanding aspect is the addition of a good sized lounge with a panoramic view of the Lough and the hills beyond.
Time passes swiftly when looking out, watching the weather change minute by minute as the showers and sun meander their way across the surface of the water. The Lough is also known as the Lake of Shadows; a very apt description, as the whole look of the area changes so much as the clouds pass overhead.
As to the cottage itself, the accommodation includes a double bedroom at each end, with a good bathroom with long deep bath at one end, and at the other end of the building, a wet room with a very effective shower. In addition there is a large room upstairs in the attic which our three grandchildren made their own for the duration, and also a "settle" or cupboard in the large living/dining room, concealed behind sliding doors, which housed a double mattress, and which the kids took turns to sleep in.
The kitchen is well fitted out with almost every type of crockery etc. you might need to use during your stay. Everyone loved the wood-burning stove in the living room which provided copious hot water and central heating for the cottage, and burnt coal, peat or wood, all of which was provided by the thoughtful owners.
The owners were so friendly, welcoming us to the area, providing a great selection of groceries for us on arrival, and showing us the shoercut to the sandy beach which was only about 200 yards away
All in all a GREAT place to holiday in, despite the rain and wind, but - what else do you expect in this part of Ireland, I'm loath to recommend it as I want to keep it a secret just for me! I'll be happy to go there again and again!
Lasairina, Sussex - May 2015
"Fabulous"
Stunning cottage with a view to die for. Very friendly owners who let the children have Jessy the donkey in the field next to us.. Very comfortable furniture and cottage very spacious. Would love to return again if visiting Buncrana.
Keralla, Sussex - May 2015
"Perfect"
Everything was as advertised, the cottage was excellent, the area on which it is built was so quite and still, the folk who look after you couldn't have done more and the area and town was magic, views going up North were so picturesque, yes we will be back.
Norah, Glasgow - April 2015
"Great setting for a magical 40th birthday celebration"
It's now two days after my 40th birthday weekend at Cecil's Cottage, just outside Buncrana. And what a weekend! Beautiful location, absolutely stunning cottage and the warmest and most generous of welcomes from Eileen and Seamus, who have built and furnished the cottage with incredible skill and love. My friends and I absolutely adored the cottage - most of us had been to Donegal before but even we couldn't get over the spectacular views! - and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. Highly recommended.
Sarah, Belfast - February 2015
"Fantastic cottage in beautiful countryside"
The cottage looks genuine old Donegal but is brand new and brilliantly finished, loved the sections of red corrugated roof. It was just starting to get cold outside but with modern insulation and unlimited turf/coal for the fires it was extremely cosy. Location is perfect for beach walks and a nice trek into Buncrana along the coastal path. The views from sun room are spectactular especially with the blue mountains and red sky at sunset. All mod cons and enough food essentials to keep you going even if you bring nothing. Loads of room for everyone to spread out and do their own thing as well as communal dining in front of the stove - the perfect Donegal experience, even our dog loved it.
John, Belfast - November 2014
"Wonderful cottage - great location!"
We have just stayed in Cecils cottage on the last week in August. This beautifully renovated cottage brings with it a wealth of old world charm and modern convenience. It is beautifully located with stunning views of Lough Swilly. We have great memories of swimming, bodyboarding and rock pool hunting on the beautiful beach. The coastal pathway which takes you into Buncrana ,starting just next to the cottage, ( approx 30 mins good pace walking)is also a lovely walk and provides a welcome activity in the midst of a chilled out holiday.
It is also easy to arrange taxis into Buncrana and sample the excellent restaurants / pubs which Buncrana has to offer. We discovered a few lovely strands with playparks close by as well as the beautiful Glen House tearooms and waterfall walk.
This beautifully located / appointed cottage provides a great location for a family holiday and we are intending to book again for next year.
As other reviewers have said the owners are extremely helpful and very welcoming. Would have no hesitation in recommending this to others .
Creea - September 2014
"Lovely, cosy house in wonderful location"
Our group consisted of 2 families and we stayed for one week in August. The house was finished and furnished with real character while at the same time being extremely comfortable. The beds were excellent and everyone slept soundly each night. The children really enjoyed the location and the nearby beach which can be easily reached with a short walk through 2 fields. We would thoroughly recommend the cottage and the owners Eileen and Seamus who were very friendly and helpful.
Homan Family, Dublin - August 2014
"Wonderful cottage in a great location"
We have just come back from a great family holiday at Cecil's cottage and it was everything that we were hoping for. The owners met us on arrival and made us very welcome . Loads of character and well fitted out - great views of Lough Swilly which is a short walk through fields and only a few miles from Buncrana.
The donkey in the field next door was very friendly and a big hit with the kids - and the dog!
Greene Family, Reading, UK - July 2014
"Amazing house with old world character and coupled with modern conveniences”
Janet - July 2014
"Fantastically family friendly!"
Sharon - July 2014
“A View to Die For”
We had a fantastic time staying at Cecil's cottage and are already planning a return visit. Eileen and Seamus the owners gave us a very warm welcome (literally as they'd lit a huge fire in the best wood burner I've ever seen)and also very kindly provided us with some breakfast for the next morning. The cottage itself sits on a gentle hillside looking out over Lough Swilley. It's a stunning location and virtually every room in the house enjoys wonderful views looking out over the Lough and the hills in the distance. There's also a lovely beach immediately below the property which is accessible via the owner's field. Paddling around in the Lough is both safe and surprisingly bearable as the water is quite shallow, and on sunny days it warms up to a reasonable temperature ! Facing west, the cottage is also in prime position to behold some incredible sunsets. There's no better place to enjoy these than from the lounge, which is a sun room with panoramic views. It's undoubtedly the property's piece de resistance and also contains some very comfortable furniture. There are very few other houses in the area so if your looking for a place to get away from it all this is the place. That said the owners Eileen and Seamus live just up the hill, and this was a comfort, particularly as they were so friendly.
Julian and Karen - June 2014
"What a gem of a holiday home in an idyllic location!"
What a gem of a holiday home in an idyllic location! It really doesn't get any better than this for breaks in Donegal !
The service and information we were provided with before we arrived and during our stay was fantastic and so useful in planning out our two weeks there.
There is so much we did around this area and Cecil s Cottage provided an ideal base to do it all from. From fine dining to family fun, sight seeing to walking, water based activities to spa treatments - we could do anything or nothing and still were content there.
There so much to love about this cottage, quirky, with all the modern amenities - the owners really made sure we had everything we needed and were available if we had any questions or needed any help, which was a bonus.
The views are amazing and we could feel our stresses drifting away day after day as we got to enjoy them!
Highlights were being able to feed the donkey in the field next to us, which the owners had kindly brought down for our kids to see - Jesse has made quite the impact! & having a real turf fire - heavenly!
We cannot wait to go back!
Mrs Norris - April 2014
"Great getaway for all the family!"
Just spent a lovely few days at this beautiful cottage - the owners met us on arrival and couldn't have been more helpful throughout our entire stay! Great place for adults and children - this cottage has everything you could possibly need!
Carole Anne - April 2014