15th September 2011

Chloe & Brandon Brazil from Alabama found Cuasnóg on Trip Advisor and left a sweet little post-card of Alabama for me in Room 1; "Caitriona Thank you for a wonderful night at Cuasnog! Great hospitality and recommendations. Comfortable bed too! And delicious breakfast with homemade marmalde. Many thanks Chloe & Bando Brazil"

There is no book for 'comments' on the premises and just discovered Trip Advisor myself last January, thanks to Chris O'Leary, and what a difference that has made to Cuasnóg. You cannot beat word-of-mouth.

There are 2 comments on Trip Advisor written in German, one from a student of English who attended Slaney Language School last Christmas; Antonia. She enjoyed the extra English she learned while hanging-out with me in the kitchen where we cooked baked and sang and laughed a lot, we went to Mary's Bar on New Year's night with our men folk (Theo & Henry) and we were not shy about taking the microphone to sing 'Molly Malone'. Antonia is an accomplished musician; Piano, Double Bass and a Soprano to boot! We had great craic for the two weeks, and went on to meet up in Alpbach Austria for skiing and stayed in an amazing chalet run by a ski instructor Luggi and his beautiful wife Penny Brown a 'cordon bleu' cook. Many of my Opera clientelle go to 'Innerhof' just for this incredible hospitality and fun. Antonia gave a rendition of an Antonio Vivaldi aria and then we had to do 'The Wild Rover' with a mostly UK chorus, another memorable bit of craic, compliments of Cuasnóg. Incidentally Cuasnóg means a wild bee's nest or a lucky find.

 

Newpaper feature

Wherever I lay my head

By Carmel Doyle

Irish Independent, Thursday March 05 2009

The aroma of fresh baking, two adorable dogs and a personalised touch to the daily breakfast are some of the ingredients that have made one particular B&B in Wexford Town a very special and unique experience for the discerning visitor.

Caitríona Ní Chatháin has brought her friendly Mayo/ Clare genes, her grá for the Irish language and music and experience of working in the hospitality sector in the US to bear at Cuasnóg Guest House, which she has been running for 15 years. So much so, that 50pc of her visitors are repeat ones.

“The house has kept the integrity of its 1929 character despite progressive improvements in its value,” she says.

Ní Chatháin also plays her role in reducing her carbon footprint, with a plethora of suppliers on her doorstep such as nitrate-free rashers from Pat O’Neill Foods, sausages from the award-winning Furlong Butchers and organic, free-range eggs used in her scones, muffins and pancakes.

Her foxhound and beagle/collie are also a welcoming feature of her B&B for visitors. “Every dog lover melts at the rare beauty of my foxhound. My dogs are confined to the back of the house with a side and back garden and patio.”

You call tell from talking to Ní Chatháin that she is oozing with energy for her industry. She does say, however, that if people want to set up a B&B, it’s a lifestyle choice.

“You are not in the market for the money. To make your B&B work, it helps to have a personal approach.”

One of the downsides of the B&B trade, she says, is that sometimes it interferes with your personal life. On the upside, however, there is the opportunity to interact with engaging people all the time.

“I fed a descendant of Tolstoy’s who was visiting these parts once. My guests span the classes, from gracious lords and ladies who attend year in year out for the Wexford Festival Opera to sightseers.

“I once even got a postcard, written by a Swiss and an Austrian who happened to get chatting on the top of Mount Blanc — both of them had stayed here at different times!”

Ní Chatháin’s B&B is also included in Alastair Sawday’s Special Places To Stay guide, after past guests made recommendations about Cuasnóg, including a ballerina in the Wexford Festival Opera.

What makes this business worthwhile, says Ní Chatháin, is the diversity of her clientele.

© Whitespace Ltd 2009

- Carmel Doyle

 

Also, read our great reviews on TripAdvisor!