Can we visit Cnoc Suain and walk the grounds and see the cottages?

No, the cottages and grounds are available to our self-catering cottage guests and cultural experience group participants only. Pre-booking is required. Cnoc Suain is not a museum or a park.

My family/husband/wife/partner and I will be visiting the area. Can we book a visit?

Cnoc Suain is open as per the above, and our cultural experiences are privately booked and held events for groups via Tour Operators, Incentive, Special Interest, Academia etc. We do not take bookings from Independent Travellers. The Cnoc Suain Cultural Experiences are not daily, regular experiences where members of the public can join. A lot of time and effort goes into the preparation for each experience.

Can we join a group who have booked a cultural experience?

Our cultural experiences are private and exclusive only to the group members. It is not possible to join the experiences even if you are a guest staying in our cottages.

Do I need a car rental while staying at the cottage?

This will depend on how you plan to spend your time during your stay. If you wish to explore the surrounding area then a car is recommended. We are 4 miles from the nearest bus stop which is not a regular service. There is one local taxi driver who although is very reliable, may not always be available. City taxis will only bring you to and from Galway city as they do not service local areas. Whether you decide to hire a car or not, all guests must be responsible for and arrange their own transportation.

Some guests who have not hired a car and instead arrived by taxi, have walked to and from Spiddal village which is 5 miles from the cottage - please be aware there is no path or hard shoulder on this road. The weather is also something to consider. We advise that you buy your groceries for your stay before you arrive if you don’t have your own car. There are supermarkets (Supervalu and Lidl) in Moycullen village (5 miles from the cottage) and a small supermarket in Spiddal village (4 miles from the cottage).

Some of our guests have hired bikes in Galway city for the duration of their stay - arriving, departing and exploring the area by bike. Please note you will need a certain level of fitness for this as most of the surrounding area is hills with some steep inclines. We do not have bikes for hire at Cnoc Suain.

What is the best route to get to Cnoc Suain by car?

If you are driving via Galway city, the best route is to drive directly to Moycullen village and follow our directions (which we will send to you before arrival) from there. The drive via Spiddal village is a coastal route and may take an additional 5 minutes, however the roads from Galway city to Moycullen village are wider and easier to drive.

Is there WIFI in the cottages?

There is no WIFI in the cottages as there is no signal available in that area of the property. Guest 24-hour access WIFI is available in a communal building on our hill, a two-minute walk/ short drive from the cottages. Please note there is no cell phone signal available in the cottages. There is some cell phone coverage available on the grounds. Fibre Broadband is due to arrive in our area in 2026/27 which will allow us to provide WiFi in the cottages.

Can we stay for one night in the cottages?

No, we do not offer one night stays. This is partly due to the time and effort that goes into preparing the cottages for guests, but more importantly we believe you need more than a one night stay to experience what Cnoc Suain and the locality and surrounding area has to offer. Whether its complete switch off and relaxation or exploration and adventure, we recommend a minimum three night stay. As many guests who have only stayed two-nights have told us, they wished they had booked a longer stay.

Can my children/toddler/infant stay in the cottage?

No, the minimum age to stay in our cottages is 13 + years of age. The terrain is not suitable for children.

Can my very well behaved dog stay in the cottage?

We love dogs but we do not allow any pets to stay due to the vast surrounding landscape, and to protect the wildlife, our own and our neighbour’s livestock. Guide and Service dogs are welcome.

Can we put a mattress/blow-up bed on the floor for extra guests?

No more than two guests permitted in An Nead one-bedroom cottage and no more than three guests permitted in An Sceach Gheal two-bedroom cottage. Extra guests and/or mattresses/air beds are not permitted due to fire safety.

Can we park our campervan on the grounds?

No campervans, caravans or camping permitted. The grounds are for our cottage guests only. There is a campervan park near Spiddal village.

Is breakfast included? Is there a restaurant on the property?

Our cottage stays are self-catering only. We provide a welcome hamper in the cottages of locally sourced breakfast goods which is the equivalent of one mornings breakfast for each guest. The hamper consists of granola, bread, organic eggs, milk, butter, homemade lemon cake, as well as coffee (filtered and instant), black tea, herbal teas, brown & white sugar. There is no restaurant onsite and no meals option available. ‘Supervalu’ supermarket is located near the cross roads in Moycullen village. Lidl supermarket is in Moycullen village en route to the cottage. There are takeaways in both Spiddal village and Moycullen village.

Can we cook/prepare meals? What is provided in the kitchen?

Yes there is a full kitchen in both cottages with all modern conveniences - oven, baking sheet, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, pots & pans, cooking utensils, delph, cutlery. Sea salt, black pepper, organic cold pressed olive oil are provided. Aluminum foil, kitchen roll, bin liners, washing-up liquid, sponge, cloth, tea-towels also provided.

Is the tap water safe to drink?

The tap water (Galway city water supply) is safe to drink, however there is a water filter jug in each cottage.

Do we bring bed linen/towels?

We provide bed linens and towels as well as essentials - toilet rolls, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hand soap, sanitary products, and hairdryer.

Can we do laundry?

Yes there is a communal laundry room situated in the ‘Lower Village’ next to the cottages which includes a washing machine, tumble dryer, laundry baskets, air dryers, and eco non-bio laundry powder. Iron and ironing board are in each cottages.