Milltown House is one of the best places to stay in Dingle Town, Ireland. Perched on the Dingle Peninsula, Dingle is the only actual town on this stretch of land, and it has a population of nearly 2,000. While not many people live on the Dingle Peninsula, tourists flock to the region for its history and natural beauty.
It's one of my favourite areas of Ireland. With dramatic cliffs and the turbulent sea, making a road trip on Slea Head Drive was equally thrilling and breathtaking. Stopping at beaches, lookout points, and both prehistoric and medieval sites, the Dingle Peninsula is one region you must visit on a trip to Ireland.
Before reaching our Dingle accommodation, Milltown House, my travel buddy, Ashley and I drove all over the peninsula. As we'd had a long day on Slea Head Drive and exploring Dingle itself, once we checked in to Milltown House, we were there to stay.
Our Stay at Milltown House
Welcome to Milltown House! With ample parking out front, we maneuvered our rental car into a space out front and left her there for the rest of the evening. As you can see, Milltown House is a beautiful home, and we were immediately excited to stay here for the evening.
As we approached the front doorway, we were greeted by two friendly faces. The two resident Irish Wolfhounds, Seamus and Saoirse, were our buddies for the evening. These two gentle giants graciously accepted my scratches and hugs.
I sat in the family room with them at one point, and Saoirse climbed onto my lap! As you can imagine, she wasn't very light. But, I let her do whatever she wanted because she was so cute. The human staff members welcomed us to Milltown House, too.
Unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to meet the owner, Stephen McPhilemy, as he was travelling at the time. The employees who were working at the time made us feel right at home. Once we were settled in, we were invited to enjoy a pint of beer at the little pub inside Milltown House.
The Common Spaces at Milltown House
As Ashley and I decided to relax at Milltown House for the night, we made use of the common areas. Surprisingly, we didn't encounter many other guests as we relaxed in the living spaces. I'm sure that most people were out exploring or spending a night on the town.
The Irish Wolfhounds mostly kept to themselves in the main living room. I popped in there from time to time to pay them a visit or throw a toy around for them every once in a while.
I noticed this photo of Stephen at Newgrange, the prehistoric passage tomb. Apparently, he was one of the lucky winners to visit Newgrange during the Winter Solstice. During the Winter Solstice, the light enters and reaches the back of the tomb perfectly. Only a handful of people are chosen from a lottery out of thousands of applicants. Amazing!
Ashley and I spent most of our time in this cozy living room in front of the wood burning fireplace. We positioned ourselves in front of the fireplace, working on our laptops. The Wi-Fi here is complimentary and fast, so you'll be able to get lots of work done if you choose. With a beer in my hand, I felt right at home in this cozy living space.
There's a large and bright dining space where you can enjoy breakfast in the morning. Unfortunately, we had such an early morning the next day that we weren't able to dine here.
A Hollywood Connection at Milltown House
Back in 1969, Hollywood actor, Robert Mitchum, lived at Milltown House while filming, "Ryan's Daughter." In fact, room #2 is known as the Robert Mitchum suite, and it has a spectacular seaside view.
While Milltown House is a quiet Dingle accommodation nowadays, there are so many scandalous stories surrounding Mitchum's residence at the property. In addition to the movie poster, you'll notice lots of nostalgic photographs and memorabilia from this era scattered around the home.
Our Room (Room #9)
We stayed room #9 downstairs, made up into two twin beds. The beds were really comfortable and I slept really well. There was a large wooden wardrobe to store our clothes, although we were only here for one night and didn't unpack our things.
There's a small table and two chairs in front of the sliding patio doors. You'll notice a premium coffee maker with coffee pods to enjoy a morning coffee (or an evening coffee, if you're like me and enjoy drinking it all the time).
The attached traditional bathroom has a bathtub and a shower. I appreciated the extra counter space to store all of my toiletries.
Our room came with a special surprise - a private outdoor patio. It's completely enclosed with walls and greenery, and it includes a picnic table. This would be such a peaceful place to have a picnic, a meal, or even coffee in the morning.
Book Your Stay
I highly recommend Milltown House as your Dingle accommodation when you travel to Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula. I really felt right at home there. The rooms had everything that we needed for a comfortable evening.
With fast Wi-Fi and a cozy living space, we truly appreciated being able to settle right in for the night. I was grateful for the warm hospitality of the staff...and the pups!
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N choules says
We stayed there last summer! It was cozy and delightful. Lots of places to relax and visit with other travelers.
Medha Verma says
How adorable are those dogs? Seems like a very cosy and comfortable guest house, love the dining place and the rooms as well. Oh sitting in front of that fireplace with your laptop or listening to music or reading a book would be such a great way to spend the day relaxing!
Anne says
This places looks really cute and those public spaces look very welcoming. Love that you call your car Esther. We always seem to name our hire cars too.
Nisha says
Oh so quaint! However from the inside it looks sufficiently modern . This is the first I am hearing about Dingle (what a strange name for a town). If I ever do go to that part of Ireland I am surely going to check out Milltown house.
Suruchi says
The Milltown house in dingle looks so homey. I loved the comfortable vibes of the place especially the living room, and those beautiful chairs to laze around near the fireplace. I am surely gonna check this out once in Ireland.
Alli says
My favourite part of this post is the Irish Wolfhounds, for sure! They are so majestic and beautiful! And Milltown House looks absolutely wonderful. I would absolutely love to wander around this quaint town (with an Irish Wolfhound by my side!) :)
Nathalie Caty says
I love the hommy vibe. You can travel and still have the feel of home. The pictures of the dogs are just too cute and they make you feel so welcome.
Danik says
I have to admit, if I knew about this place (as we were staying very close by) I would have loved to book up a stay here. Looks so typically old fashioned-Irish and so comfortable. Great review guys.
Danila Caputo says
Yes we've heard of Dingle and loved it! We have such fond memories, but just like you we haven't been able to see Fungie the dolphin! Yet we'd definitely check out Milltown House should we get back in the area!
Marvi says
I love the homey vibe! Those chairs on the living rooms looks really inviting and I love the dining space.. It’s always cool to eat with open views like that! :) I’m not a fan of dogs (my husband doesn’t like that and he’s been trying to erase my fear. lol), but those cute dogs looks very gentle and very easy to get along with! Love your review! :)
Kavita Favelle says
It's a beautiful part of the world, I really need to revisit as it's been a few decades since I've been! (Feeling old just writing that!) Milltown House looks lovely, the kind of place we seek out too, good accommodation, welcoming hosts, a good location. Love that the doggies are so friendly too!