Cork's Great Escapes: Stargazing in comfort in old shepherd’s hut

Fri, 06 Sep, 2024 - 07:00

A home away from home with people who make it feel like home - that’s what a stay at Foxglove Lodge felt like from the moment I met hosts, Mike Holland and Caroline McCarthy, and saw the beautiful, welcoming space they have created for guests.

A tillage farmer based just outside Killeagh in East Cork, Mike has transformed the farmhouse and surrounding buildings, dating back to the 1800s, into an authentic Irish rural country-style stay.

With a lodge, a loft, and a shepherd’s hut to choose from, there is something for everyone’s taste and for all types of guests, including couples, a group of friends, or a family.

Inside the shepherd's hut at Foxglove Lodge in East Cork Picture: Breda Graham

I chose to stay at the shepherd’s hut, which is situated adjacent to the farmyard, where the loft and lodge are located, but surrounded by trees to make it feel like a private space with its own hot tub area, fire pit and tree swing (which I proved is not just for the children)!

When we made our way with Mike, who showed us around, from the farmyard where guests park their cars to the shepherd’s hut, my first thought was just how pretty the whole set-up was, from the shepherd’s hut itself, with its own little balcony looking out over the rolling fields, to the hot tub area and beautiful trees surrounding it.

Inside the shepherd’s hut there is a double bed and bunk beds, comfortably sleeping a family of four. There is also a kitchen with everything you need to cook a meal, including all utensils. The extra treat of having soda bread made by Mike’s mother, and Foxglove Lodge strawberry jam left on the table made it feel even more like home.

There’s a good-sized table for meals, with seats that slide in under it to make smart use of space, a comfortable sofa, a stove for the colder evenings, lots of cosy cushions and seating on the balcony which faces out onto the fields. There is also a private bathroom with a toilet and shower and towels are provided.

The hot tub area, which is just a few steps from the hut, is fully covered so guests can enjoy the tub come rain, hail or shine, and has more seating to cater for larger groups.

It’s the perfect place to relax for the evening after exploring the local area or, in my case, the perfect place to turn 30! And I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the milestone birthday.

And if you’re lucky enough to stay on a clear night, be sure to look up at the sky. With no light pollution, it’s the perfect place to stargaze. I hadn’t seen stars so clearly in a long time!

On the day we arrived, Mike and Caroline, who live on-site in the cottage, kindly invited us into their home for the chats and made us feel so welcome. I was told stories about the restoration project and the building of the shepherd’s hut from scratch, and was left in awe of Mike and Caroline’s work ethic and dedication.

The couple are ionate about giving their guests a unique experience and not just a place to stay, with walks around the extended farm grounds welcome - where guests might be lucky enough to see wild deer, red squirrels and kestrel hawks - and a whole host of activities to do and places to see in the area.

The idea of Foxglove Lodge as a farm stay/agri tourism enterprise came about through the changing face of the tilliage industry, says Mike, who was looking for something that would co-exist and complement with tillage farming in order to future proof and be able to sustain a living from all of what the farm could offer. After looking within the confines of what the farm could potentially offer, he started cleaning out and renovating the old farm buildings and took on the renovation process as a Covid-19 project.

He undertook the clearing out of the first old building and as the weeks and months went by, slowly he could see how the building could take shape as a livable space.

Foxglove Lodge in East Cork, before and after renovation. Picture: Breda Graham

He didn’t employ professional designers or architects, saying the building pretty much guided them along in its progression to where it is now.

“I employed tradesmen who had extensive knowledge with projects just like this one, and as much as we could, we handmade everything for each project on-site, from the half door to the handmade kitchen - a building of this nature deserves nothing less,” he said.

In tandem with renovating the lodge, the idea of the shepherd’s hut came about as a different offering to the farm stay experience.

Shepherd’s huts were purpose- built and used previously on farms by shepherds looking after their flocks of sheep at night.

“The shepherd’s hut at Foxglove Lodge was built with the intention of providing a unique glamping farm stay experience,” said Mike.

“It was hand built from scratch in the workshop of the farm and is built up on one of the trailers that was used to move the combine harvester headers from field to field.

We tried to reuse and repurpose as much as we could find that the farm could offer, even down to our firepit, which is made from old cultivating discs welded together.

The couple said that over the past two and a half years, bookings have steadily increased with guests from Australia, India, the U.S, neighbouring European countries, as well as Ireland, each of whom they said have helped boost the local economy while dining in local restaurants and bars and purchasing in local shops.

Having hosted their first Foxglove food and craft fair earlier this year, and having a movie shoot on location featuring some well-known actors, the couple are now developing a new orchard, and have even been asked if they would consider hosting weddings in the big shed at Foxglove Lodge.

“So, watch this space,” they said.

To book a stay at Foxglove Lodge, visit https://tinyurl.com/2zstvb9a

AT A GLANCE

Cost of Stay: €180 per night - shepherd’s hut, lodge and loft

Highlights:

Authentic farm stay in the East Cork countryside
Unique experience of staying in a shepherd’s hut
Private hot tub and tree swing
Access to the farm grounds and its walks in nature

ITINERARY

Local Amenities and Activities:

Just 45 minutes from Cork city, 20 minutes from Midleton, 15 minutes from Youghal and located just outside the village of Killeagh in East Cork, there is a large selection of amenities and activities near Foxglove Lodge to include on your itinerary.

Here are just some suggestions: