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Your Host.
Greetings.
My name is Liam Hughes and I welcome you to Knockahopple Cottage.
In 1989 while visiting family in County Tipperary, I asked a cousin if he
knew of any homes for sale in the area. He took me down the road to an
abandoned cottage that was in desperate need of repair.
Although it had been empty for several years and required a lot of work, I knew I
had found home. My great grandfather came from Knockahopple in the
mid-1800's, and I was returning. From that point on, this place was my
Cottage.
Since then I have lovingly restored Knockahopple Cottage. I have tried to be
mindful of the feel of a traditional Irish cottage, but with all the modern
comforts.
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My First Guests.
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I
never thought of having guests other than family and close friends at
Knockahopple Cottage until I received a call from Gaynie Ryan, a
seventy-five-year-old woman from Indiana. She heard of my place from a
friend of my mother and was interested in staying there while she visited
Ireland in June of 1999.
We
made the arrangements over the phone, but she was disheartened to learn
that her age restricted her from renting a car in Ireland. That was when
she asked if I would be interested in driving her and her friend to their
destinations. I agreed, and we made arrangements for the three of us to get
together stateside to work out their 14-day itinerary and determine the
costs involved in such a tour.
On
the day of their arrival in Ireland, I had their car ready for them when
they landed, and we were enjoying tea and scones at Knockahopple Cottage
within an hour. The next morning I served a full Irish breakfast. It even
included fresh-baked Irish soda bread that I cooked over the open fire
in the kitchen (a secret I learned from my Irish cousin, Anna Hughes).
Both
women expressed how special it was to sit by the fire late into the
evening. It was at this time we would talk about the events of the day and
go over our upcoming itinerary. We covered much of Ireland and
Northern Ireland in those two weeks, including a number of days relaxing
around Knockahopple. Because we were not tied to a tour group, Gaynie was able to adjust
her plans based on her mood and the activities going on in
the areas we visited.
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Discovering the Real Ireland. |
On
her last day at Knockahopple Cottage, Gaynie and I sat by the fire where
she told me how special it was to see the side of Ireland most tourists
miss. She insisted I begin putting my passion for, what she called the
"real Ireland," to work. And on that day, Knockahopple Cottage
and Tours began. In just a few short years, my business has grown, but
remains small and personalized, which is exactly the way I intend to keep
it.
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Coming Home.
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For
Irish-Americans like myself, there is a strong bond with Ireland that
calls us back to the place of our ancestors. There is something about the
Irish countryside and turf burning in an open fire that makes one think of
how difficult it must have been for our forefathers to leave a place as
beautiful as this.
I
welcome you to Ireland and Knockahopple Cottage as my guest and friend.
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