Rahans Lake Lodge can be found on a number of websites for accommodation in Ireland; it is a lovely cabin located in a tranquil location by Rahans Lake, near Carickmacross in County Monaghan in Southern Ireland.

The cabin is very clean and has everything you need for a self catering holiday. The photos on the websites accurately dictate all aspects of the cabin. We stayed there for a week from the 20th to the 28th of July 2009 and found everything to be in good order.

We were advised by the owner to call him when we were in nearby Carrickmacross and he would guide us to the Lodge, however, we decided to try and find it ourselves, coming from the Highlands of Scotland rural locations are the norm for us. We almost made it and then the owner phoned us and he came out in his car to meet us, turned out we were only a mile away from the Lodge so we did pretty well.

We were given a lovely welcome from the Owner Jim McMahon, who showed us round the cabin and told us about the area and what there was to see and do.

On first inspection, Rahans Lake Lodge is a fairly new building and is extremely well looked after. We entered through the front door which leads straight into the kitchen/living room, which is well laid out with a lovely high ceiling. The first thing that struck me was the fresh smell of natural wood. There are two large windows in this room and the double doors, both at the front and rear, have a window each as well. So plenty of light. The kitchen had all mod cons, a fridge with a freezer box at the top, a hob with four ceramic plates and a double/grill oven; the kitchen also boasts a washing machine and tumble drier, toaster, kettle and microwave. There is plenty of cupboard space and ample pots, pans and utensils for all your cooking needs. (The instructions for every machine are in the larder cupboard)

The living area has a lovely black leather suite a few coffee tables and a large television with Sky TV, CD and DVD and there are lots of channels to keep everyone happy should it be a rainy day. We took our (hubby’s) x-box as well, so I got to read in peace.

The cabin was really warm and we spent our evening with the double doors open looking out towards the lake.

The cabin has three good size double bedrooms, the largest having an en-suite (our room of course). We used the second as a dressing room and our daughter chose the slightly smaller but cosier double room at the rear of the cabin. All rooms have a colour television which is linked to the sky box in the living room. In addition each room has a wardrobe and bedside chests of drawers and lamps.

There is second shower room outside bedrooms two and three and a large utility cupboard with airing facilities, an ironing board and iron.

The heating system works really well and the hot water is by immersion tank, both of which we found to be very good.

The owners Jim and Nuala are at hand (only a phone call away) and we found Jim to be an extremely friendly person. He was also very informative of the local sights to visit and knows quite a bit about local landmarks and the history of the area.

There is a drawer full of leaflets, information and a tourist guide to Ireland book in the Kitchen.

Rahans Lake Lodge is situated right on the banks of Rahans Lake and you can sit on the front veranda or the new decking on the Lakeside to watch the swans and ducks. The cabin is protected from the elements by large leafy trees and the front veranda is big enough to sit out on even on a rainy day.

There were two sets of seating: a lovely wooden table and four chairs on the decking by the lake and four white plastic chairs which we used on the front veranda and on the lawn.

One of the best bits about staying here is the proximity to the N2 and the M1 (toll road) both of which take you to directly to Dublin only about an hours drive away and making it easy to visit all the places you might have on your list. Belfast is about an hour and half away so it’s a perfect location for a base for travelling round Ireland.

I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Rahans Lake Lodge to anybody. It’s perfect for couples or families and there is plenty of hot water and extra clean linen and towels are in the cabin should you need them.

The lodge has disabled access for wheelchairs by way of ramps at either end of the new decking, access is via the living room double doors.

The local shops in Carrickmacross are about ten minutes away by car and there are pubs, restaurants and three large supermarkets. So if you don’t intend travelling everything you need is close at hand.

It cost us 400 euros to rent but that was high season.

There was no deposit to pay on arrival and the utilities were included in the price.

All in all a lovely cabin in a delightful and peaceful location.

Our Thanks to Jim and Nuala for a lovely last week of our three week tour of Ireland.

NB Some parts of this review have been placed on another website.

Sheena McCowan October 2009