Hi Rose Violet. I had to respond when I saw this thread to give you my experience. We holidayed in Ireland last summer for the first time in many years. We took a holiday home in Achill Island. Great spot, the weather can be harsh there but the beaches are the cleanest and water is the clearest I have seen. Be very wary of the weather, you will not be guaranteed good weather up there. If its nature and fresh air, walks, beaches, decent seafood etc, its A1
On the down side, I was very let down by the quality of the holiday home. We paid about 700 euro per week for a three bed stone cottage that was rated as 4 star. Lets just say, it was not 4 star. I consider the value I had was very poor. The response from the company who run these cottages was also very poor. I can go into detail in a PM if you wish but let me just say, be sure of what you are getting for your money and if it is an important factor for you, be prepared to make a stand on day 1. When I asked the MD of the company in question how I could make sure that in the future I could book accomodation and be sure of what I was getting, she told me to ring her directly, which doesn't say much for the failte ireland star rating.
I would love to stay in IReland again as there are many particularly nice places to go but I wouldn't know where to start now in terms of securing value for money in a holiday home.