Is there anything more quintessentially Irish than to gather around the table, to gulp mugs of scalding hot tea, and tuck into mammy’s home cooking? Crebilly Cottage has been in our family for generations and has witnessed many such round-the-table feasts, and while we can’t promise you an Irish mammy’s slap-up meal, we would love to invite you for a proper Irish gathering around the table at Crebilly Cottage. We’re tucked in a little pocket of green on the outskirts of Ballymena, close enough to pop into the town for a pint of milk, but far enough to switch off from the buzz, bustle, and busyness, and really unwind in the silence and stillness of country life. Sign off for the week, close the books, and pack up the car. Gather the family and find us perched on the pastoral tree-lined hills overlooking Mid and East Antrim. Pause for a moment at the crest of our lane and take in that view. Let your shoulders drop, unclench your jaw, breathe a little deeper. Come on in. You’ll find three cosy bedrooms, two bathrooms, and plenty of storage space to unpack and settle in. Undo your top button and kick off your shoes, this is your home for the next few days. Now, get the kettle on and rustle up a proper Irish brew, and let’s get to the serious business of having fun! Switch the phones on airplane mode and set up the scrabble board - the winner gets to cook everyone dinner! (Made easy in our spacious, authentic cottage kitchen). Alternatively, go on all-out holiday mode and make the five minute drive into Ballymena to pick up a Chinese or a Pizza. Stop at the shop for movie night snacks and settle in for a cosy family night of food, fun, and films. Take a minute to clink your glasses, raise a toast, and give thanks for the simple but meaningful joy of being together. Are you relaxed yet? If not, our cosy and comfortable beds will sort you out. Sink in for a restful night’s sleep in the delectable stillness of the countryside. Now, we’re taking it slow so don’t bother setting an alarm. Wake naturally and pad down to the kitchen. Let the splutter of the coffee machine and the dark, bitter scent of those heavenly beans bring you to your senses. Recline in the sunroom and sip your coffee with an audience of curious sheep grazing in the field at the end of the garden. Depending on what kind of weekend you have planned, your agenda will look different from here on: Going for slowly, restoratively nourishing? Go for maximal, hideaway seclusion and run a hot, oil-scented bath and soak there until every inch of your skin is softly withered and wrinkled. Let the kids get square-eyed for an hour. Then keep your coffee cup topped up, stretch out on the sofa and lose yourself in a good novel while you dip your hand into a bowl of something sweet/salty/spiced/greasy (take your pick). Take a moment later on to don your coats and stretch the legs - meander up the lanes under the canopy of trees and let Mother Nature work her magic. Now, rinse and repeat all weekend (may we suggest throwing in a cinema excursion, a round of golf, and a spa treatment for an all-round restorative family weekend!) Alternatively, freshen up with a revitalising shower and layer up for a day of hunting giants and ghosts on our fabled North Coast! Car snacks are a must but we urge you to divulge in our incredible range of coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants located all across the island. We may be a small country but we are mighty and you’ll find yourself spoilt for adventure - myths and legends abound on our world-famous coastline, Belfast City is brimming with her own juicy and sordid history (along with killer shops, bars, restaurants, and entertainment), and an hour south of Belfast is the ethereal Kingdom of Mourne and her rugged mountainscape (the inspiration of CS Lewis’ magical world of Narnia!). Is there any better feeling than a day of adventuring and then collapsing, spent, with red noses, muddy boots, wind-swept hair, and an album of photographs to recall those precious memories for years to come. Family, gathering, being together is where the real treasure is.