Restored 200 Year Old Church in Athenry

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The Space

A protected building and national monument, Bookeen Hall is a former Church of Ireland Chapel built in 1808. Part of the Dunsandle estate, the church was used for services by the estate’s Church of Ireland congregation. Built in stone, the rectangular hall with its large gothic windows and solid bell-tower can be seen across fields and woodland, making it a distinctive and well known local landmark.

It was deconsecrated in 1920 and exactly 200 years after it was built it was given a new lease of life and converted into a two bedroom home.

Inside the interiors are bright, open and contemporary. The church is comprised of a large open plan living /dining room and two bedrooms. The guest bedroom available to visitors has access to its own bell tower/reading room with great views of the surrounding countryside and private bathroom complete with claw-foot bathtub.

Bookeen Hall is situated on the edge of Dunsandle wood which has some great walking and running routes, which your hosts, both keen runners, would be happy to show you. Quiet and peaceful, it is surrounded by woodland, and fields full of cattle and sheep.

Easily accessible by car, Bookeen Hall is just 2 mins from the Dublin / Galway motorway (Dublin airport is 2 hours away); about 1 hour from Shannon airport; a 20 min drive from beautiful Galway city; and located just a 10 min drive from the neighbouring towns of Athenry and Loughrea, both of which have a good selection of cafes, restaurants, and bars, and good public transport links.

Enjoy our home baking with tea/coffee when you arrive and a continental breakfast each morning.

What to expect: a restored church – with a light, bright and homey feel to it. It’s also home to two dogs that can’t wait to meet you!

Room type:	Private room
Bed type:	Real Bed
Accommodates:	2
Bedrooms:	1
Bathrooms:	1
Beds:	1
Extra people:	No Charge
Country:	Ireland
City:	Athenry
Cancellation:	Strict
Pet Owner:	Dog(s)

Smoking Allowed
Pets Allowed
TV
Cable TV
Internet
Wireless Internet
Air Conditioning
Heating
Elevator in Building
Handicap Accessible

Pool
Kitchen
Free parking on premise
Doorman
Gym
Hot Tub
Indoor Fireplace
Buzzer/Wireless Intercom
Breakfast
Family/Kid Friendly

Suitable for Events
Washer
Dryer
Smoke Detector
CO Detector
First Aid Kit
Safety Card
Fire Extinguisher

Overall Guest Satisfaction

Accuracy

Communication

Cleanliness

Location

Check In

Value

Neerissa

Staying at the restored church was relaxing, and great to see the beautiful work that Chris and Orla have done with the church. It was clean, private and homely I highly recommend staying here.

January 2014
Mirjam

We loved our stay with Chris & Orla. They are lovely people who made us feel perfectly at home for our first time in Ireland. The building is great, and for Christmas time fantastic decorated. We had some lovely talks around the fireplace. And we got some great suggestions for touring around the area. The church is in a wonderful location and ideally situated as a starting point for exploring the Western part of Ireland (the Burren, Galway, Cliffs of Moher). And finally we loved the breakfast. Summarized: Great place to enjoy Western Ireland in a fabulous building with wonderful hosts!

December 2013
Mandy & Brice

We had such a wonderful time staying with Chris & Orla! Their place is spectacular! It was comfy & so luxurious. The property is so special, I am very glad we were able to stay with them for a night. And we really enjoyed spending time getting to know them & hearing their story of the property. Such a special place to stay with incredibly special people & their gorgeous dogs! We hope to come stay again!

December 2013
Cristina

Lovely place and superb hosts!!!! we really enjoyed our stay with them, they are fantastic and took extremely good care of us making feel at home from the first minute.
And the house....amazing!!!
Certainly recommend and hope we can also come again.

November 2013
Derek

Orla and Chris were fantastic hosts! As we didn't have a car, they were kind enough to pick us up in Galway. Even booked us a dinner reservation in the town nearby! Amazing home and room (it's even more beautiful in person than the posted pictures). Orla also made us a delicious breakfast early in the morning before our train back to Dublin. The biggest regret about the trip to Ireland was that we weren't able to spend more time with them. Highly recommended!

November 2013
Anastasia

A great place to stay!

October 2013
Anastasia

A really nice couple in a really unique home. Very accommodating and friendly. I would highly recommend this listing.

October 2013
Maggie

We vacationed in Ireland for 15 nights, but only stayed with Chris and Orla the last two. It was such an amazing visit in their beautifully renovated and rebuilt home, a former church. They were such wonderful hosts, very talented and so interesting to talk with. We quickly fell in love with their doggies Munky and Mouse too. The home decor was inviting, tasteful and fun! We thoroughly enjoyed a nice walk in the country air, a warm fire, excellent food, and a comfortable bed in a spacious, but cozy bedroom with a windy stairway leading to its' own tower! The bathroom was beautiful too, spotless, with plush towels. It was all very clean! Our visit was peaceful and relaxing in a luxurious environment. Chris and Orla left us feeling pampered and our Irish holiday ended on a high note! Thank you both so very much! Slainte'! Maggie and Dean

October 2013
Karen

I can't say enough great things about our stay with Chris and Orla. They are such nice people and really made our stay enjoyable. It is such a unique place to stay and they've done a beautiful job renovating and decorating. There was a lovely breakfast for us in the mornings and they also helped us make a reservation for a restaurant in Loughrea that was delicious.

We loved their 2 dogs Munky and Mouse, they were so fun to play with.

Overall we had a wonderful time staying here and would love to go back back some day.

Thanks Chris and Orla!!

September 2013
Allison

Bookeen Hall is a gorgeous space, lovingly restored and modernized by Chris and Orla. To have the opportunity to stay in such a unique space was fantastic. This beautiful historical church has been given new warmth and life. Our hosts were lovely and kind, sharing great stories as well as their hearth with us. Our room had the best bed of our entire vacation--so comfortable! The entire home is beautiful, and so very clean and comfortable. Chris and Orla are wonderful, thoughtful hosts, and if you get to meet their dogs, they're hilarious! Orla also put out the most gorgeous breakfast spread we've seen anywhere we've travelled! If you are anywhere near Athenry, seek out this lovely hall and lovely couple. We will most certainly return on our next trip to Ireland!

September 2013