February 2007, Killarney Ireland.
Oops, we forgot to plan this part.
Fellow Travelers haven’t we all been there?
Before you left your home country you had thought you had planned out everything pretty well.
Done your Country research, planned your routes,
picked some accommodations...
However comes THAT day.
The day that you and your traveling companion look at each other and say simultaneously:
“I thought you said you took care of this part of the trip?”
Well, there it was.
Killarney, we had not made an accommodation choice.
This might not usually be a problem, but in February a lot of Bed and Breakfast folk take a well deserved vacation, or they are closed for renovations.
This is what we found in Killarney, as it happens one of the establishments that we stopped at which was closed, recommended another B & B in town that they thought very well of and said that it might be open.
And to our very good fortune it was:
Abbey Lodge
Our base for the next 4 days to explore Irelands beautiful southwest coastline.
The ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, the Beara Peninsula, and all the sheep roads, and byways that we could fit our little car on.
Abbey Lodge is perfectly located for this sort of thing.
The gracious woman who owns the Lodge is full of information, kind and considerate, and most importantly has a sense of humor.
Our room was huge, clean, comfortable, affordable and as it was located at the back of the Lodge. It was very,very quiet.
There was plenty of hot water for all and fantastic water pressure.
Breakfast was wonderful.
Served in either a cozy, comfortable inside room or a warm, bright glass enclosed sun room.
There was everything offered from Corn flakes & breads to a full Irish breakfast.
My Husband and I skipped many a lunch fueled by the Abbeys breakfast.
If you are looking for comfort, nicely appointed rooms,
value, good food, sweet staff, with a central location, this is the place for you.

A wonderful 4 nights at Abbey Lodge! My wife and i did the ‘week of south-west Ireland’ which was entirely to short, i must add, and spent 4 nights here at Abbey Lodge. A perfect place to see the sights, an easy walk into town for a pint or three at the end of a long day, and a comfortable and welcoming home away to come back to.
Very helpful owners, wonderful breakfast, a charming place with the feel of a small B&B and the amenities of a lodge. Clean, comfortable, spacious rooms, quiet, all in all, a place to return to.

After having read stellar reviews on this site, as well as a book on B&Bs in Ireland, I was disappointed with the Lodge. When we arrived, I introduced myself to the woman checking me in, and she did not even offer her name. The room itself, a triple, was okay. The bathroom had a good shower, but no fan and the paint was peeling on the ceiling. The TV was not easy to use, and there were many cobwebs on the windowsill. Breakfast was wonderful , though, in a beautiful, sunny room and the rest of the house looked beautiful as well. I was most disappointed that the owner never bothered to introduce himself or ask our names or how the room was. And I had to chase someone down to check out. The inn is walking distance to the center of town, which is very convenient.

My husband and I stayed at Abbey Lodge last November. Of all our accommodations, Abbey Lodge was by far the nicest. Spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated, and close to everything. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and are returning in September 2006 for another two nights.