Gortnabool sits in the centre of its own valley in the hills above Borrisoleigh, County Tipperary. The name is old Irish, the field of the pond, and the stream that gives the place its name still runs down the front of the house, feeding a cold plunge pool built into its course.
You reach it down a long, winding cul-de-sac. The nearest neighbour is a kilometre away, and from the house you can't see another building at all, only the farm, which wraps the property on every side, and the hills beyond. This is genuine seclusion. Hill walks start straight from the door.
It's a place built for gathering. Two wood stoves, a stream-fed plunge, a cedar sauna, a hot tub, a fire pit under open sky, and a private bar of your own. Somewhere to bring the people you like and lose track of the day. The site sleeps eight across two buildings.
The Main House (sleeps 6)
A restored stone cottage dating back to the 1800s, with cast iron radiators throughout and a wood stove in the kitchen.
The kitchen is properly equipped to cook for the full house, with a four-ring electric hob, electric oven, fridge, and a table seating six (up to eight). There's an espresso machine for slow mornings. The living room has a deep sofa, original artwork, and a smart TV; the sofa folds out to a double, sleeping a further two.
Downstairs there's a double bedroom with storage built in beneath the bed. The bathroom is floor-to-ceiling tiled, with a walk-in double-head brass rainfall shower running at high pressure.
A narrow stair leads up to the loft, where two single beds sit under a low ceiling. Please read this plainly: the stair is steep and the headroom up here is low. It's ideal for children, or for two adults who genuinely don't mind crouching to move around up there. If that's not for you, the property still sleeps six in comfort without it.
Out the Front
The stream runs the length of the house, and built into it is a cold plunge pool, the real thing, fed straight from the moving water. Beside it, an outdoor shower under the open sky.
A lean-to holds an Irish cedar sauna seating up to four, alongside the practical things: dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, and a second fridge and freezer.
Sauna, plunge, stream: a full hot-and-cold circuit, steps from the door.
The Yard & Gardens
Wrapping around the house is a large yard with lavender beds, mature wildflower planting, and gardens to sit out in through the long evenings. To the rear of the main house stands the shepherd's hut.
The Shepherd's Hut (sleeps 2)
A traditionally built hut in a spare, pared-back style: quiet, beautifully made, with every bit of timberwork in solid ash. Polished concrete floor, lime plaster, and a wood stove. A king bed for two, its own walk-in shower room, and a projector with a pull-down screen for films at night. The window looks clean across the valley.
It's a separate building, a short walk across the yard from the main house, its own quiet world under the stars, apart from everything else.
Síbín an Túir (the bar)
A genuine Irish síbín, a hidden country bar of your own, named for the old monks' tower the valley remembers. There's a Guinness tap, a dartboard, and a projector for the big nights. (The tap can be stocked ahead of your stay, just ask. It isn't included in the nightly rate.)
The Patio & Hot Tub
A full barbecue area sits beside an open-faced shed housing a four-person hot tub, sheltered, with the valley in front of you whatever the weather decides to do.
The Fire Pit
A sunken stargazing fire pit set into the garden. A kilometre from the nearest light, the dark out here is total and the sky is extraordinary. This is where the evenings tend to end.
Good to Know
Sleeps 8: main house (6) + shepherd's hut (2)
Two bathrooms across the site, plus the outdoor shower
200Mb WiFi throughout
Central heating and wood stoves (the hut is heated by its stove)
Dogs welcome
Ample private parking
Two-night minimum stay
10 min to Borrisoleigh · 15 to Templemore · 30 to the Rock of Cashel · 15 to the Devil's Bit
