Reviews/Faqs
Guest Testimonials
Read our 5 ⭐ Reviews!
I wish I could give MORE stars! Where is the option for infinity?
Richard, along with his lovely wife, Bairbre, and their 3 beautiful children helped to make our stay and first visit to Ireland, a trip of a LIFETIME!
My husband, our 3 adult children, and my son’s fiancé (thanks to perfect planning help from Richard) all cannot stop talking about what a storybook experience our entire visit had been.
We were blessed to see a truly authentic Ireland through Richard’s eyes and vast knowledge of Irish history. We experienced so many amazing sites and visited some really unique places. I can guarantee you won’t get anything like this from some generic bus tour.
Richard (or “Uncle Richard’ as my children were calling him by the end of our tour) truly goes ABOVE & BEYOND to ensure you will have the most wonderful time.
Bairbre had fresh eggs, coffee, jams, and stocked the refrigerator with milk, yogurt, cheese, and many other comfort foods on the counter awaiting our arrival. She even invited us in to their private home and baked her famous & ridiculously amazing brown bread with our family, as well as, touring us around their property. She had asked our permission to go into the cottage so she could have a delicious home cooked Irish meal & a freshly lit fire in the fireplace ready and waiting for us after our busy day of tours.
I am tearing up again just typing this thinking about how absolutely amazing this family is, and how much we loved our stay at Marianne Cottage, and the unforgettable tours we were blessed enough to see/experience!
10/10 for Ireland at your Leisure and although we only just returned home, we are already talking about the next time we visit this beautiful country with another Johnsfort tour!!!”
The Cassels Family
From Maryland
I can’t imagine visiting Ireland without Richard. We had such a wonderful time! We had three wishes coming to Ireland and we fulfilled them all…we had a beer at a pub, toured several castles and we sat on a hillside with sheep.
‘To meet and part is the way of life, but to part and meet again is the hope in life.’
We hope to meet again Richard. Please give our heartfelt thanks to Bairbre. She is such a joy and a wonderful cook!
Your children are adorable! Give Chuck Norris and Taylor Swift a hug from us!
Thank you!”
Becky, Ron, Sherry and Dan
From Kentucky
As we look back to all of our fantastic trips throughout Ireland…
Bairbre and Richard have a great cottage for a comfortable ‘house’. Bairbre gave us a loaf of bread that is the best we have ever had. Marianne Cottage was wonderful. Richard told us so much information that helped us understand from new places to very old places. Richard has given knowledge that we will remember forever! Thank you for sharing with us your home.”
David & Rebecca
From Florida, USA
Richard, Bairbre, Danny, Juliette, Dougie and Elsa the cat.
What a special week it has been. Now my turn to adequately thank you for such a special and memory filled trip of a lifetime.
This was a unique experience that few would ever get to have – but this week – we were the lucky crew to win the jackpot!
Thank you for welcoming us into your space and your home. Thank to Juliette for teaching me to ‘stop at the leg’ when getting eggs in the morning.
We enjoyed all the animals and really loving having Elsa visit us and make us believe we were special to him!!
One thousand thank yous!
Carla, Dennis & Chrisitine
From New Jersey, USA
We had such an amazing time here at Marianne Cottage. All of the extra special touches and thoughtful panning that you provided was so extremely appreciated. Everything was amazing and exceeded our expectations. This has absolutely been the trip of a lifetime for us and we couldn’t be more grateful. We hope to come back soon and will recommend Johnsfort – Ireland At Your Leisure to all our friends and family.
PS Special thank you to Juliette for the adorable frog – it will be treasured!
Anne, Jennie & Emily
From Portland Oregon, USA
This is the best tour we have ever had. Richard is knowledgeable in every aspect of Ireland and delivers all the information in the most engaging way that provides an in depth understanding of Ireland’s sites and history. He took us to so many beautiful places and many that the average tourist does not get to see. The icing on the cake was spending an amazing weekend on Richard’s and Barbrie’s farm in one of their cottages. In addition, Richard helped us with all our personal needs throughout our trip and we were able to rely on him for everything. This was truly a memorable trip, and we look forward to keeping our friendship with Richard and Barbrie.”
Donny Wartenberg
Richard was an excellent tour guide, his in-depth knowledge of the area was only matched by his outstanding customer service catering to our needs, including help organize something special for our anniversary. His accommodations were both very charming and comfortable making our vacation one of the best we have ever taken. Richard and Barbara went out of their way to make our trip not only enjoyable, but memorable. Highly recommend utilizing Ireland- At Your Leisure!”
Jacob Francis
We recently had the pleasure of Richard’s charming company for the most authentic and immersive tours – Richard took the time to listen to our hopes for our trip and created a magical journey for our entire family – from the Irish landscape to the rich folklore and history, Richard created a once in a lifetime experience for ALL of us. And.. they have the most charming place to stay – It is a place and space that gives you time to restore. We stayed in the Loft and had plenty of space to cook and enjoy the sights and sounds of the surroundings. The location was an ideal! We had the time of our lives staying here and cannot recommend it highly enough. The kitchen is so well stocked (local coffee) and nothing is overlooked for a most relaxing and wonderful stay. Richard and Bairbre have a unique ability and charm to host and welcome you in the most warm way!”
Carey Opper
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. We welcome guests all year round from all over the world who prefer to do a self drive tour of Ireland.?
Unfortunately at present we are not set up for farm tours but hopefully soon. Please book in for a stay with us in Marianne Cottage or Bartholomew’s Loft or book a private day tour of The Boyne Valley or Hidden Heartlands to meet our animals.
Yes indeed. Richard can collect you from your own accommodation and drop you back that evening.
If we have availability we can take care of your group for up to two weeks. We can also arrange a two or three night farm stay and tour package if we have availability.
Most tours are 8-10 hours long. However we tailor each tour to what our guests require so please tell us if you need a shorter/longer day!
Yes. While we have had guests who have no car, having your own transport will really enhance your stay as there is so much to see and do in the surrounding area.
Clonmellon is lucky to be situated where The Boyne Valley sweeps into The Hidden Heartlands. We have a wealth of natural beauty around and lots of beautiful scenery. We are just 10 minute drive from the historic town of Kells and 25 minutes from Trim Castle where the movie ‘Braveheart’ was filmed. The ancient cairns and burial tombs of Lough Crew are just 15 minutes away. The village of Fore with its quirky Seven Wonder of Fore and ruins of Fore Abbey are just 10 minute drive away.
There is a limited bus service to Clonmellon but the towns of Kells and Athboy are well serviced but they are 10 minutes away from us by car.
Yes we have numbers for local taxi services. They are detailed in our guest book or please get in touch with us.
The stunning Clonabreany House is just over 10 minutes drive. We are on their wedding list of accommodation nearby and we have guests year round staying with us who are attending a wedding there.
Absolutely. Marianne Cottage is all on one level so very safe for young kids. Bartholomew’s Loft has a stairs but we have a stair gate fitted on it.
Yes we provide both in both Marianne Cottage and Bartholomew’s Loft. We also leave our lots of toys for children of all ages to enjoy.