Green credentials and idyllic surroundings make South Reen Farm, in west Cork, an ideal spot for a getaway, with or without the children, writes Catherine Mack
THE WEBSITE calls it a retreat. I call it a rural idyll. It is so peaceful here that when I strolled from the house down the elderberry-lined lane to the tiny sandy cove, I wanted to test the echo and shout "hello". Or "hurray". Because when you hit the beach at South Reen Farm you feel as if you have escaped from the world.
Ann Shaw is one of many farmers diversifying into green tourism, and she is committed to the notion of sustaining the environment and the rural economy in the process. The result is a beautiful modern house, perfect for self-catering families, nestled between the hills of an inlet in west Cork.
She has installed solar panels to provide heating and hot water, although there is a backup for when the sun can't beat the clouds.
She is a self-confessed tree-planting addict, and, judging by the hundreds of saplings pushing their way busily up through the rich organic earth, she has been busy. Most of these are native ash, oak, holly, birch and rowan, to name a few, mostly grown from seed or sourced locally.
What I love most about South Reen is that it is surrounded by water. "Keep the lough on your left-hand side when you leave the village," Shaw had said. We thought we were lost when the dark-green waters of Lough Cluhir suddenly seemed to move from left to right. Then we realised that these calm waters were now the depths of South Reen harbour. Here the road forked: one way down to the tiny pier, where a catamaran waited for finer weather to take customers on whale- watching excursions, the other up to our holiday hideaway and, finally, to our own little bay of beauty.
Sycamore trees hang delicately over the rocks, there is enough slate to keep skimming-obsessed children in stock for eternity, and there is enough sand to keep the swimmers smiling, too.
Our visit was during a cold spell, but quick early-morning dips, with Shaw's loyal Labradors looking on in horror, were not to be missed. The three-minute walk (or shivering sprint) back up the lane in wellies and a towel was enough to warm us up again. That and the huge wood-burning stove, which was lashing through the generous supply of wood - all the fruit of Shaw's hard labour, which ensures a totally sustainable source of fuel.
This area is reputed to be one of the first hit during the Famine. Hard to imagine, when you look out over the rich, serene landscape. But when we took our first walk away from the bay, over the hills behind the house, we entered a harsher world. All of a sudden we were at the top of cliffs, overlooking a full-on Atlantic surge. It was as if the ocean had been hiding from us until now, the hills protecting us from the noise and the wind.
Battered by the spume being driven in off the cliff face, we had to scream to be heard. Also screaming in the wind was the stunning sculpture Tree Sentinels, by Susan O'Toole. This is a work of mammoth proportions, commissioned by Shaw to commemorate those lost from this townland during the Famine.
Eighteen wooden poles, standing eight metres high, shake in the wind at the top of the cliff, almost keening for those who took to these unforgiving seas in search of refuge. It is aptly placed on this wild hilltop, where the wind strips away any romantic notions I might have had about rural life, in the past or in the present.
Our stay was not long enough. During our journey home we planned our return visit, when the sun would shine and the whales would come out to play. We went through the list of friends we would like to share it with. Those who would love its remoteness. Those who would happily jump on a bike - Shaw supplies a pair of mountain bikes - and cycle the couple of kilometres over the hills to the nearby village of Union Hall to get eggs for breakfast.
We were in luck during our visit: the hens had been busy, and Shaw passed a few our way. Depending on the season, you can also buy her organic vegetables or pop into Skibbereen, only 13km away, to the farmers' market on a Saturday morning. You'll find South Reen's beef stall there, too.
But it's always best to leave a place wanting more, I say. It sleeps 10, so next time we'll bring a clatter of kids to test the echoes. Shaw is not precious about her retreat. All are welcome.
Call 028-33258 or see www.southreenfarm.com. The house costs from €650 to €1,050 a week, depending on the season
A version of this article will appear in EcoEscape Ireland, by Catherine Mack, to be published in May by Markham Publishing. See www.eco escape.org
Union Hall has one shop and five pubs. With luck you will have a chance to sample all of them, but the fish pie at Dinty Collins pub was the prize dish the night of our visit. Dinty's serves huge plates of food, with generous half-portions of all main meals for children. This is the only pub where I have seen a grown man wash his dinner down with a pint of milk. So the milk must be pretty good, too.
From spring onwards you can take whale- watching or marine-life trips from South Reen pier. Contact Nic Slocum on 086-1200027or see www.whalewatchwestcork.com.
For details of Skibbereen farmers' market, see www.skibbereenmarket.com.
Keep to the green theme and take the train. The nearest station is Cork, 50km from South Reen.
You can always hire a car in Cork. Ann Shaw has two bikes available for visitors, but you can also hire them in Skibbereen. Call Roycroft Cycles on 028-21235.