Rural Ireland Airbnb Accommodation

Convert your Spare Room into Cash 

Pat Keenan saw at first-hand

 the accommodation that is Airbnb  
Photos: Pat Keenan 

An adaptation (with extra material and photos) of an article
  that appeared in Senior Times magazine January- February 1917 issue.

     Since it started in San Francisco back in 2008 Airbnb has offered home-owners the opportunity to earn money from their spare rooms and other accommodation. It may not be for everyone but its popularity is undeniable.
     Their website offers over 2 million listings in 34,000 cities and umpteen small towns and villages in nearly 200 countries. In Ireland in the past year 11,000 Airbnb hosts welcomed over 650,000 guests to their homes. In Dublin alone 5,000 hosts welcomed 319,000 visitors. Recently Airbnb released a report about their reach into rural Ireland, showcasing the best of local Irish hospitality and the impact that is having on lessor known locations and the knock-on effect on local business.
     There are two ways to use Airbnb, as host to earn extra money or as guest to travel and live like a local. Aisling Hassell who heads Airbnb's Dublin office says "we really believe in the immense opportunity for everyone across Ireland to open up their neighbourhoods, no matter how remote, and put themselves on the map", and added, "people of all ages and walks of life are recognising that there is great value in sharing a spare room, or your home when you're away".
     Last year in rural Ireland €27m was earned directly by renting anything from a spare room, a  granny flat or the entire house. That spare space could earn you an extra €2,700-€3,000 per year. The report points out that most hosts are retired, self-employed or entrepreneurs and maybe, in difficult financial times, as many a half of them are just simply making ends meet. Becoming a host is straight forward but be aware to check the laws and regulations that may apply in your area, even planning permission restrictions in certain situations. But these are few and for most wanting to share a space this will be all right. The Airbnb website includes a helpful section titled 'Responsible hosting in Ireland' (www.airbnb.ie/help/article/1378/responsible-hosting-in-ireland)

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD launches the report

      I met up with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD in an Airbnb host house Co. Monaghan, her own constituency. She joined us for the launch of the Airbnb report 'Home-Sharing: Empowering Regional & Rural Ireland'. "The benefit of the Airbnb model" she said, "is that it can bring new visitors to remote and perhaps previously undiscovered locations, providing a new potential source of revenue for communities which might be otherwise off the beaten track".

     For the launch we all crowded into the kitchen of host Elizabeth McGuinness for a slap-up buffet lunch, all prepared from the best of locally sourced Monaghan food. Elizabeth welcomed us into her home which is just outside Monaghan town. "I get to meet fantastic people from all backgrounds and cultures" Elizabeth told us "it’s a tremendous way for them to get a real flavour of a place.”

Airbnb host Elizabeth McGuinness prepares a slap-up lunch

     And that's exactly what Elizabeth did as she took a few of us around the local area and introduced us to her neighours like, Jeremy Herron who runs Ambledown Cottage in Glaslough, a tea rooms (great pizza too!) with a wonderful mix of the eclectic old furniture.  At Busy Bee Ceramics in Mullan village we met Brenda who invited us to "throw a pot!" (No, on a potters wheel!) and we visited Trish Murphy at her tiny shop, grandly named The Chocolate Copany, where she makes her own chocolates. She makes all those handmade chocolates you will find on the pillows in nearby Castle Leslie -ex Beatle Sir Paul McCartney would have had some when he got married there. That was, tabloid readers will recall, when the late wonderfully eccentric Sir John Leslie told all on live TV that the wedding would be on Tuesday and added… "but it's a secret" No chocolate for him that night. We visited The Mallon Gallery where ceramic artist Joe Mallon showed us around a clutter of lamps, vases, dishes, masks, birds, dogs and his wife Joan's surreal paintings of flowery village fantasy. We travelled back in time with Ron & Diane at the Olde Bar - all old 'country pubs' looked like this in the old days. I ended my Airbnb day in Co.Monaghan, with the locals, living like a local, with a few glasses of artisan beer from Brehon Brewhouse, located on a farm in Carrickmacross.

Making a stir: Airbnb host Elizabeth McGuinness and Minister Heather Humphreys TD.

Senior Times January- February 2017

More Photos

'Erected by his grateful tenants' Charles Leslie MP oversees Glaslough

Coach House & Olde Bar

Ambledown Cottage

Jeremy Herron of Ambledown Cottage

Brenda at Busy Bee Ceramics

Sculpted and real: Joe Mallon at Mallon Studio

Mallon Studio

Trish Murphy-Thom at Glaslough Chocolate Co.

For more Information
Airbnb website: www.airbnb.ie/
Airbnb host, Elizabeth McGuinness, Lynster House, Milltown, Monaghan www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/7360430?s=ow_SAkig
The Mallon Studio, www.glasloughvillage.com/the-mallon-studio/
The Coachhouse & Olde Bar www.facebook.com/CoachHouseOldeBar
Glaslough Chocolate Company, chocolatier Trish Murphy-Thom
Busy Bee Ceramics : www.busybeeceramics.ie/
Ambledown Cottage: www.glasloughvillage.com/ambledown-cottage/