Staying in a traditional Irish cottage provides you with a peaceful retreat, and all the privacy and freedom you want on your vacation.

The four-room cottage has the original hearth where, for centuries, Irish families and friends gathered to listen to music or to the stories of a shanachie. Modern kitchen and bathroom, brilliant skylights, and glistening hardwood floors throughout have recently been added.

Self-catering accommodations include an open hearth, electric cooktop and oven, microwave oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, electric heat, telephone, bed and bath linens, and kitchenware. Sleeping accommodations include two sleep settees which sleep four in the main room with cathedral ceiling, skylights and peat-burning hearth. In the bedroom are two bunk beds which sleep four, and a skylight. The kitchen has wonderful natural light from the skylights and large windows.

The cottage sits on a hill in the midst of a 22 acre working farm. Enjoy your coffee or Irish tea over a good book while the cows outside the kitchen window munch on the green, green grass of Mayo.

You can be sure of one thing when you stay at the McLaughlin Farm: when you return home and your friends ask what did you see, you can answer that you saw "the real Ireland."