A group of 16 (cousins and partners) just spent a marvellous weekend in Clifden staying at the Sunnybank House.  For the past few years we have stayed in large houses in the UK and Sunnybank House certainly matches, if not exceeds, our previous experiences.  Everything about the house was excellent.  We had plenty of space - 11 on-suite bedrooms, a dining room table fit to take us all, a beautiful bright living room, with open fire place, stocked with fuel, several small rooms to get away from the mad crowd, a kitchen and back room with all the necessary equipment, including ice maker, glass washer, small fridge, large fridge, dish waster, washing machine and dryer, large cooker, micro wave etc etc..... and all within 5 minutes walk of the town centre.  When we arrived on Friday we met Shane.  We didn't see him again until we were leaving.  Did we need to see him ?  No.  Everything was as we had wanted.   It is not opulence, but it is excellence.  Could it have been better ?  Maybe some very fussy might think so. We were very happy with our experience.

We stayed in Sunnybank house for a week for a family celebration. 22 of us, a mix of 3 generations. Everyone had the comfort of their own ensuite bedroom. There was plenty of space for everyone to hang out, while the main drawing room was a great size where everyone could gather in the evenings.

The house is well appointed with everything you could need, including the kitchen with plentiful dining/cooking stuff. On arrival there was a very generous welcome basket, with cheese, fruit, nibbles and wine ... an extremely nice touch!

So close to the town, we walked to restaurants etc. Well placed for the many tourist attractions in the area, which are vast. We had something great to do everyday.

Two notes: 1. the wifi only works in a few rooms. Extra boosters around the house should be put in place.
2. The kitchen table has very sharp corners. We taped buffers onto the corners for the week.

Overall a top class spot, extremely comfortable and made our holiday feel very special. Thanks Shane!

Between 1981 and 1991 my family hosted four students from Europe for a year each through AFS. It was a wonderful experience each and every time. They each became a part of our family and we learned so much from each of them. However, it had always been my dream to have them meet one another. Even though 3 were from France and one was from Norway, this had never happened.

In July 2016 they came with their spouses and children and met my husband, two daughters, son-in-law and two granddaughters in Clifden, Ireland at Sunnybank House to realize this dream.

Sunnybank House was perfect. There were bedrooms with en suite bathrooms for everyone. The dining room seated 18 of us for dinner with the overflow of children eating in the library across the hall. We ranged in age from 4 years to 71 years. The pool and sauna were used by all ages and the house allowed nooks for quiet time for those who desired such. The kitchen allowed groups to cook together for the evening meal. We even learned the French could sing, line dance and cook all at the same time! The kitchen was large and outfitted with all you needed to cook for a large group. We Americans loved the commercial ice maker and all appreciated having washers and dryer available to them. Having a bar dish washer in addition to the regular dish washer was a blessing with all the cooking we did. The tennis court and garden were great as well.

The first night Gillian Coyle fixed a scrumptious meal that made our arrival and settling into the house so much easier.

Shane was prompt with response to any issues we had and attempted to fix any problems right away. He is a very nice friendly man.

Sunnybank House is a home not a hotel and we were lucky to call it home for a week. Because it was a home, it made it easier for us to become an integrated family spanning three generations and for my dream to come true! I will be forever grateful!

Kathy & Bob Haskey

We just returned from our stay at Sunnybank house with a large family/friend group. What a perfect find! It really is all it says it is on the website and more. A very large house with accommodations for all but doesn't lose it's character with size. Felt just like we were at our grandparents Irish home. Classic décor, thick comfy couches and turf fires going in the sitting rooms. But also all the modern amenities you could ask for, heated pool, wifi, modern kitchen with enough cooking space to feed our big group of over 20, plus BBQ just outside the door. Heated pool and sauna with picnic tables around. We were lucky enough to have great weather to enjoy sitting by the pool at the end of the day. We picked Clifden and Connemara because we knew there was lots to do for all ages. Our group ranged in age from 2 to 78 years old and everyone was happy. The house is up the hill, so away from most of the noise of the town but just a quick walk down to all the pubs, shops, music, grocery etc you need for the week. Driving distance to beaches, National Park, hikes, sites, etc. Really the perfect spot to get the true flavor of Ireland, hear the language and music. So wonderful. Best of all the owner, Shane, is wonderfully accommodating and friendly, with the cook Gillian describing him as an 'angel'! Living just next door he was available whenever we needed something and we all went down to his pub, Guy's Bar, for the best beef and Guinness stew in town. Don't hesitate to stay here, there really are 11 beautiful en suite bedrooms and room for all. We've traveled extensively in Europe but we all agreed Sunnybank House was going to be 'hard to top'! Thanks Shane!

Our family of 14, 3 generations from 70's to teens spent a wonderful week in this very large house. It has I think 11 bedrooms, each en suite bath so we spread out and many of the young ones had their first own bedroom.. Sunnybank House is spacious, clean, well and comfortably furnished, TV's, Wi-Fi, charmingly aged and well maintained with a fantastic kitchen and fireplaces. The tennis court and heated pool were a smash hit. Shane O Grady, the owner, also owns Guy's Bar and Pub which is one of many pubs with music within easy walking distance. We had a catered fantastic final evening feast done by Doirin Hickey who presented a menu of 9 starters,11 Mains and 6 Desserts. We picked 2 in each category and all were excellent. Paula of Connemara Rentals will provide all help, coaching and crisp efficiency from making payments to sorting out the TV clicker that met many young active fingers. Expensive but well worth it! Plenty of parking.

We recently stayed at Sunnybank House for work related reasons while doing filming and photography in the Connemara area. The house is very homely and well appointed with plenty of space both internally and externally. All eleven en-suite rooms are very comfortable and clean. The kitchen, utility room and dining room are excellent offering loads of space. We availed of the caterer recommended by Shane of Sunnybank House and we were blown away by Doirin who provided superb home-cooked meals for the team. We would highly recommend this for corporate use, however we could equally see that it would be an excellent venue for family occasions or groups doing excursions/golf in the area. The 5 minute walk into Clifden town centre and nearest shop/pub was also very convenient. Having Shane so close by with such great contacts and local knowledge was also a great asset.