Laurence Howard smiles as he greets us upon our arrival. “Regardless of where you come from, we’re a drive!”
It’s a drive that ends with crossing the causeway that links Claggan Island to the mainland, our car guided along the hard-packed sand by Laurence, who has met us on the strand.
We’ll admit it’s a first for us (and our Micra) but it’s part of what makes Belmullet Coast Guard Station such a unique holiday destination: and that’s before we’re shown to our glamping “pod” for the night – complete with comfy bed and bathroom – all within a salt spray of the Atlantic in the heart of Erris in Co Mayo.
If you’re looking to get away from it all – without sacrificing your creature comforts – you’ve come to the right place.
From Claggan Island To Saudi Arabia
Belmullet Coast Guard Station is home to Laurence, his wife Myra and their two boys, Ódhrán (3) and Darragh (2).
He explains how Howards have lived on Claggan since 1895, though he was born in England after his father, Laurence Sr, emigrated as a young man.
On a trip back to Ireland for the Pope’s visit in 1979, Laurence Sr and his wife Ann were asked if they would be interested in taking over the farm, so the family returned in 1980, milking cows for the next 10 years before switching to sucklers.
Laurence Jr – just three on the return to Claggan – never wanted to do anything else but farm, and after school, went to Mountbellew Agricultural College before completing his farm apprenticeship. In 2003, however, he left Ireland to work with Almarai in Saudi Arabia.
“I had seen a video of Saudi when I was about 10 and it was on the ‘to do’ list,” he explains. “When I hit 25 I said, ‘It’s now or never.’”
It was a long way from Claggan Island in every respect: his first job was on a farm where they milked 10,000 cows; after three years, he was promoted to assistant manager on a new farm where they built up from 1,000 to 22,500 cows, milking four times a day, with another 24,000 young stock and dry cows.
Every six weeks, Laurence would fly back to Ireland for a fortnight to help out at home, though the farm was not the only draw after he met his future wife, Myra, a nurse, in 2007.
“We got into it knowing what was ahead of us – six weeks off, two and a half weeks on,” he says of the long distance relationship.
Belmullet Coast Guard Station
The other attraction back home was the old coastguard station beside the family farm. In operation until 1921, the station had fallen into ruin over the years until it was purchased by a family from Dublin, who planned to renovate it. In 2004, however, they decided to sell, giving first refusal to the Howards.
Laurence jumped at the opportunity. Unable to find a builder during the boom willing to restore it, he had no choice but to knock it down and re-build it to its original footprint, using one half of the house for a family home and the other half for self-catering accommodation.
The build was completed in 2010, with Laurence and Myra marrying the following year; Laurence continued to work in Saudi Arabia to help offset the cost of the project. Even after the arrival of Ódhrán in 2012, Laurence commuted for nine months, but that September returned home for good to farm and make a go of Belmullet Coast Guard Station as a unique self-catering experience.
Targeting the upper end of the market, Laurence and Myra invested in high quality furnishings and fittings for the station, which sleeps seven people between three bedrooms and includes several attractive features, such as the unrivalled views from the living room, the site of the former lookout tower.
They also purchased two “glamping” pods from Pods Ireland, each with a double bed, couch/pullout bed and toilet and hand basin, and converted a disused barn to provide cooking and shower facilities. Their next project is a games room.
Family Friendly Holidays
The result is a holiday destination that ticks all the boxes for families that want to get back to the simple pleasures, whether it’s collecting their own eggs, building sandcastles or toasting marshmallows over the open fire beside the pods as the sun goes down.
“If the kids have a good time, they come back,” says Laurence. “We probably shouldn’t be proud of it, but we’ve had kids crying here (because they) didn’t want to go!”
It has also been a hit with everyone from kite surfers to walkers, not least as Erris was previously voted the best place to “go wild” in Ireland. Local activities range from coasteering and kayaking to foraging and wild food workshops, while Laurence has also teamed up with local businesses, such as the Broadhaven Hotel in Belmullet, so that guests have access to their leisure centre.
Key to success
Last year, the station was booked for 30 weeks out of 52, while the glamping pods surpassed all expectations, with 400 nights between the two units. As well as their own website and social media, Laurence has also used sites like Groupon for off-peak sales, and finds Airbnb excellent for international visitors, though almost 40% of guests actually come from within an hour’s drive.
“We have a family coming here the last three years from Ballina for a week in summer, 40 miles away,” says Laurence.
Between 50 sucklers and a re-seeding project, life on the farm is equally busy, and with a third baby due in September, it will be triple the fun, with three generations of Howards now living on Claggan Island.
So, what does Laurence reckon is the key to successful on-farm diversification, especially in relation to tourism?
“It’s to give them something different,” he responds. “It’s not that they can’t get it elsewhere, but you have to be doing it better than the next place.”
And at Belmullet Coast Guard Station and glamping pods, they are certainly achieving that.
A week’s self-catering at Belmullet Coast Guard Station ranges from €450 in low season to €800 in high season, while a two night stay in the pods ranges from €130 to €170. For further information, visit www.belmulletcgs.com or call 087-683-3985.
Laurence Howard smiles as he greets us upon our arrival. “Regardless of where you come from, we’re a drive!”
It’s a drive that ends with crossing the causeway that links Claggan Island to the mainland, our car guided along the hard-packed sand by Laurence, who has met us on the strand.
We’ll admit it’s a first for us (and our Micra) but it’s part of what makes Belmullet Coast Guard Station such a unique holiday destination: and that’s before we’re shown to our glamping “pod” for the night – complete with comfy bed and bathroom – all within a salt spray of the Atlantic in the heart of Erris in Co Mayo.
If you’re looking to get away from it all – without sacrificing your creature comforts – you’ve come to the right place.
From Claggan Island To Saudi Arabia
Belmullet Coast Guard Station is home to Laurence, his wife Myra and their two boys, Ódhrán (3) and Darragh (2).
He explains how Howards have lived on Claggan since 1895, though he was born in England after his father, Laurence Sr, emigrated as a young man.
On a trip back to Ireland for the Pope’s visit in 1979, Laurence Sr and his wife Ann were asked if they would be interested in taking over the farm, so the family returned in 1980, milking cows for the next 10 years before switching to sucklers.
Laurence Jr – just three on the return to Claggan – never wanted to do anything else but farm, and after school, went to Mountbellew Agricultural College before completing his farm apprenticeship. In 2003, however, he left Ireland to work with Almarai in Saudi Arabia.
“I had seen a video of Saudi when I was about 10 and it was on the ‘to do’ list,” he explains. “When I hit 25 I said, ‘It’s now or never.’”
It was a long way from Claggan Island in every respect: his first job was on a farm where they milked 10,000 cows; after three years, he was promoted to assistant manager on a new farm where they built up from 1,000 to 22,500 cows, milking four times a day, with another 24,000 young stock and dry cows.
Every six weeks, Laurence would fly back to Ireland for a fortnight to help out at home, though the farm was not the only draw after he met his future wife, Myra, a nurse, in 2007.
“We got into it knowing what was ahead of us – six weeks off, two and a half weeks on,” he says of the long distance relationship.
Belmullet Coast Guard Station
The other attraction back home was the old coastguard station beside the family farm. In operation until 1921, the station had fallen into ruin over the years until it was purchased by a family from Dublin, who planned to renovate it. In 2004, however, they decided to sell, giving first refusal to the Howards.
Laurence jumped at the opportunity. Unable to find a builder during the boom willing to restore it, he had no choice but to knock it down and re-build it to its original footprint, using one half of the house for a family home and the other half for self-catering accommodation.
The build was completed in 2010, with Laurence and Myra marrying the following year; Laurence continued to work in Saudi Arabia to help offset the cost of the project. Even after the arrival of Ódhrán in 2012, Laurence commuted for nine months, but that September returned home for good to farm and make a go of Belmullet Coast Guard Station as a unique self-catering experience.
Targeting the upper end of the market, Laurence and Myra invested in high quality furnishings and fittings for the station, which sleeps seven people between three bedrooms and includes several attractive features, such as the unrivalled views from the living room, the site of the former lookout tower.
They also purchased two “glamping” pods from Pods Ireland, each with a double bed, couch/pullout bed and toilet and hand basin, and converted a disused barn to provide cooking and shower facilities. Their next project is a games room.
Family Friendly Holidays
The result is a holiday destination that ticks all the boxes for families that want to get back to the simple pleasures, whether it’s collecting their own eggs, building sandcastles or toasting marshmallows over the open fire beside the pods as the sun goes down.
“If the kids have a good time, they come back,” says Laurence. “We probably shouldn’t be proud of it, but we’ve had kids crying here (because they) didn’t want to go!”
It has also been a hit with everyone from kite surfers to walkers, not least as Erris was previously voted the best place to “go wild” in Ireland. Local activities range from coasteering and kayaking to foraging and wild food workshops, while Laurence has also teamed up with local businesses, such as the Broadhaven Hotel in Belmullet, so that guests have access to their leisure centre.
Key to success
Last year, the station was booked for 30 weeks out of 52, while the glamping pods surpassed all expectations, with 400 nights between the two units. As well as their own website and social media, Laurence has also used sites like Groupon for off-peak sales, and finds Airbnb excellent for international visitors, though almost 40% of guests actually come from within an hour’s drive.
“We have a family coming here the last three years from Ballina for a week in summer, 40 miles away,” says Laurence.
Between 50 sucklers and a re-seeding project, life on the farm is equally busy, and with a third baby due in September, it will be triple the fun, with three generations of Howards now living on Claggan Island.
So, what does Laurence reckon is the key to successful on-farm diversification, especially in relation to tourism?
“It’s to give them something different,” he responds. “It’s not that they can’t get it elsewhere, but you have to be doing it better than the next place.”
And at Belmullet Coast Guard Station and glamping pods, they are certainly achieving that.
A week’s self-catering at Belmullet Coast Guard Station ranges from €450 in low season to €800 in high season, while a two night stay in the pods ranges from €130 to €170. For further information, visit www.belmulletcgs.com or call 087-683-3985.
SHARING OPTIONS