Ireland’s B&Bs face huge challenges, from long hours to rising costs. But new ideas and an old-school welcome can still hold appeal for travellers
Ciara O’Brien at Barnahown. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
“There’s usually two different things people think of when they hear we run a B&B,” says Enda MacMullan.
“When the younger generation hear ‘B&B’, they generally assume it’s an Airbnb, as opposed to the traditional B&B, because that’s what they’re more familiar with. And then there’s the paper doilies/toilet-roll cover/ staying-at-your-gran’s-house idea of the quaint traditional B&B. We’re somewhere in between,” he says. “Or nowhere near either!”