By choosing to rent self catering Ireland rather than stay in a alternative choices you set the pace and style of your holiday. You can decide if you want somewhere small for a romantic break, or somewhere big where you can invite all the family to stay. Everyone can come and go as they please. It’s probably the closest thing you can get to living in your own home whilst on holiday.

• Bring all the family and friends on holiday
• Breakfast, lunch and dine when you want
• Bring your pets on holiday with you
• Get to know the local area
• Enjoy all the local attractions

You’ll have all the comforts of home, possibly more, with plenty of time to enjoy them. What could be better!

There are great advantages to choosing self catering Ireland as opposed to staying in hotels, motels or bed and breakfasts. The biggest advantage in renting self-catering holiday homes tends to lie in having more money to spend on things to do, rather than spend your holiday budget on expensive hotel bills.

You can bring your family, friends and pets on holiday with you so everyone can have a great time together. Then you can really enjoy the many activities and sightseeing opportunities available in the various counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

• You can choose exactly what you want to eat and when
• You can bring your groceries with you or shop in the local supermarkets
• You can come and go when you want
• You won’t be disturbed by staff members
• You can bring your sports gear and comforts with you (bikes, toys, games, books, surf boards etc) It’s the place where memories are made!

Many of the Irish self catering holiday homes listed on this website are used by their owners throughout the year and rented out when they are not in use. If you want to holiday over a particularly popular season such as Christmas, Easter or summer holidays it is advisable to book the holiday rental well in advance. It is also worth remembering that there are several public holidays throughout the year such as:

New Years Day - January 1st

St. Patricks Day - March 17th

Good Friday

Easter Monday

Christmas Day

Boxing Day

Book your Ireland Holiday Early!

Ireland is a great country to visit whatever the season and beautiful Irish holiday homes are available throughout the country, all year long. Ireland is the perfect destination for activity holidays and offers fantastic options. It is great for cycling, walking, mountain climbing, surfing, boating, fishing, golf, ancient Irish sites, medieval history and Irish castles and not forgetting the brilliant live Irish music scene which is probably the best in Europe!

Ireland is not a hot country, it has a temperate weather system. The secret of coping with the Irish weather is to have the correct clothing. Be prepared for moderately mild weather at all times and be able to supplement basic dress with warm clothing and a rainproof jacket.

It is also worth remembering that Ireland is known for some of the best food in Europe, particularly seafood. There are many fantastic restaurants and the locals are always happy to give you the best advice. Enjoy!

Irish Tourist Season - April to October
The tourist season in Ireland runs from Easter to the October Bank Holiday, outside these times some attractions and restaurants might be closed. Check carefully when planning your trip outside the tourist season, although many visitors return regularly during off-peak times because the peace and quiet can be very rewarding

High Season - July and August
July and August are the traditional Irish holiday months and the children are off school for these two months. Resorts can be crowded and noisy but the atmosphere is lively and there is usually plenty of entertainment. This is the warmest time to swim in the ocean but look out for the jellyfish.

However, the waves in Autumn to Spring offer some of the best surfing conditions in Europe. The resorts can be particularly beautiful with not so many people around. Ireland is a great country for sport, particularly September to May. If you like sport, make sure you get to see a rugby, hurling or gaelic match or spend the day at the races.

Ireland School Holidays
The long school holidays start in July and run through to the end of August for most schools. Schools close for two weeks over Christmas and Easter. Popular locations will get busier but one of the beauties of holidaying in Ireland is that there is plenty of room for everyone!

Our web site lists holiday homes for self catering Ireland and self catering Northern Ireland. Listings on the site are managed by the owners themselves. They provide all the information and photographs themselves. When you find a particular cottage, house or apartment that appeals to you, you contact the owner directly. You can either send them an enquiry which goes directly to their email or phone them, but please don’t forget to tell them you saw their place advertised on Ireland Self Catering Holiday.

The Irish holiday homes listed on our website have not been inspected or graded by irelandselfcateringholiday.com. We rely on the owners of each vacation rental to provide accurate, up to date descriptions of their house and to maintain them to a suitable standard. The individuality and atmosphere of each holiday cottage, house or apartment contributes to the particular charm and enjoyment of this type of vacation.

However, should the house fall below the standards you have been led to believe you could expect, please let us know, so we are aware of any developing problems. If you are not happy, speak to the owner directly first. It may be that departing tenants left behind a mess or damage that the owner may not know about and needs to attend to.

When you select a self catering Ireland holiday home to rent you can contact the holiday home owner by sending the enquiry form on each property listing page or you can phone the owner directly.

The holiday home owner knows the property and the local area extremely well so they are the best person to answer any questions you may have and help with any special requirements you may have.

We encourage our holiday makers to contact the home owners directly, they are a great source of local information and can really help and improve the quality of your holiday. Self catering Ireland - vacation rentals for every season.

You may have a family pet, such as a dog or a cat that you would like to bring on holiday. Check out our pet friendly homes listed on the website which welcome your pets. When you contact the holiday home owner remember to clarify if pets are allowed and if the pets are permitted indoors.

If you are allowed to take your pets to your holiday home, find out:

• Is the pet allowed in all the rooms inside the house?
• Is there a dog or cat flap inside the house?
• Is there a kennel outside?
• Is the garden secure?
• Are there any sheep or cattle in neighbouring fields?
• Are there any local walks or trails suited (or not suited) to dog walking?

Many holiday homes owners understand the needs of wheelchair users and have adapted the properties for wheelchair users. Check out our disabled access section for a full list of holiday accommodation suitable for disabled holidays or holidays for a wheelchair user. Any cottages, houses or apartments which are listed under the ‘disabled access’ section have been marked as having disabled access, but to ensure that any property suits your specific requirements, we recommend that you discuss the suitability directly with the property owner.

Self Catering Holiday Homes in Ireland are scattered throughout the length and breadth of the country from Cork in the South to Antrim in the North. If you don’t know where to go, think about some of the areas of Ireland or Northern Ireland that sound most appealing to you and then search for the holiday homes available there.

Have a look at the Map of Ireland on the Find a Holiday Home page and select which county you would like to visit by clicking on the map. You will then see the names of most of the towns and villages in the county and you can search for an Irish holiday home you like.

Here are some of the many highlights Ireland has to offer. Search any of these regions for holiday homes to rent and be prepared to be spoilt for choice:

Republic of Ireland Highlights

Donegal - beautiful beaches, surf, hills and forests

Leitrim - Shannon-Erne waterway

Sligo - verdant splendour of the Yeats Trail

Mayo - dramatic rugged beauty of islands loughs and forested parklands

Galway - sailing in Galway Bay

Clare - the gateway to lost dolmens, abandoned abbeys amongst The Burren

Limerick - modern urban Ireland on the shores of the Shannon estuary

Kerry - magnificent scenery of the Ring of Kerry

Cork - spectacular city of Cork

Waterford - sunny southeast with beaches, fishing villages and whitewashed cottages

Wexford - cycle along the coast and pausing in the pretty seaside villages

Wicklow - garden of Ireland has amazing scenery, spectacular coastline and majestic hills

Dublin - pure pleasure in music, art, history, literature and legendary nightlife

Northern Ireland Highlights

Fermanagh - watery maze is a playground for anglers and boaters

Derry - the only surviving walled city of Ireland

Antrim - surf, seabirds and seals are part of the furniture

Down - spectacular granite peaks of the Mourne Mountains

A holiday home in Ireland is a vacation property which is usually a residence that is rented out for a vacation or holiday. More and more holiday makers are opting for a single family residence that they can rent on a weekend or weekly basis. In many cases the savings can be significant compared to a hotel stay or package holidays. A holiday home in Ireland can mean anything from a one-bedroom apartment or cottage to a luxurious five star, architecturally designed building.

Traditionally in Ireland a “cottage” denotes a small, cosy home located in rural or coastal areas, however these days it can also refer to a country home that has a minimum of three bedrooms. Houses, Cottages and apartments are available all over Ireland and are also available in the cities.