Those who have come back from their Easter break determined to buy a holiday cottage may be interested in two properties that are about to come on the market in Connemara, Co Galway. In the Cleggan area, Aughrishmore is a three-bedroom house on 7.5 acres of seaside land. Gunne's Ballsbridge office is seeking offers over £250,000 for the property. Built in 1960, the house is located 10 miles from Clifden, three miles from Cleggan village and less than a mile from Claddaghduff. It is owned by an American actor, Crofton Hardester, who appeared in Saving Private Ryan and who has also been seen in Fair City. The grounds include the remains of an old cottage that could be restored.

Nearby, Augh risbeg is a 1930s stone-built three-bedroom cottage standing on 14 acres with access to the beach. It is for sale through Galway agency FB Heaslip, which expects it to make around £200,000 at auction on May 14th. Ideal for those who want to be truly alone, the cottage is set well back from the public road, on a raised site, with fields all around and frontage on to a sandy beach. Inside, it is delightfully old fashioned with an open fire in the kitchen.