A Modern Retreat at the Far Edge of Ireland

As in all the best B&Bs, tea is offered within seconds of arrival. At Breac.House which opened recently on Horn Head near Dunfanaghy, it is served in little grey goblets of Inishowen clay commissioned from a local pottery. “We wanted a particular shade of grey,” owners Niall Campbell and Cathrine Burke explain, “with a slight purple hue. The colour of Muckish.” They nod through vast windows to the inky mountains of north Donegal.

It’s just a detail in a house where attention to detail has been taken to magnificent extremes. A Pantone reference given conversational depth by two Dublin accountants who realized ten years ago that their careers were at odds with an impulse towards creativity and a growing interest in design. But it points to two fundamental principles underpinning their project. The first is that Breac.House celebrates Irish craftsmanship, with a particularly strong emphasis on local products and produce. The second is that, with its simple lines and muted tones, this understated building of stone, timber and glass directs full attention to a theatrical sweep of landscape stretching all the way from Carrigart’s beaches to the Bloody Foreland, with the shimmering arc of Sheephaven Bay, Muckish, Errigal, sheep, stone walls and sap-green fields in between.

Breac.House was designed by local, award-winning MacGabhann Architects. Brothers Tarla and Antoin MacGabhann and their talented team have created an innovative and exciting design, which is both contemporary and traditional in its use of materials and how the building sits within the unique landscape of Horn Head.

Clad in a Shou Sugi Ban style larch, the long, low exterior deliberately disappears into a rocky hillside. The interior, by contrast, infuses a dramatic interplay of space and light with so much serenity that you may never feel the need to unroll the yoga mat in your wardrobe. “You should feel your shoulders dropping as you walk in,” observes Burke. In all three generously-proportioned bedrooms, each with a private terrace, the bed faces that mesmerising view. For further unwinding, seaweed baths are offered in a tub big enough for two.

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The result of this considered approach is a strikingly beautiful contemporary house stitched flawlessly into its surroundings. But, aware that architectural wizardry isn’t enough to guarantee a glorious guest experience, Burke and Campbell have built many thoughtful and pleasurable elements into their offering, including picnic backpacks, binoculars and bikes to encourage exploration of some of Ireland’s most ravishing, least visited scenery.

For more, visit Breac.House.