Growing up in the countryside of Mayo, on the shores of Lough Conn, I always had a deep sense of connection to nature and the land around me. After living abroad for a number of years, I began to realise just how grounding it was to come home. There was something about returning to Mayo, slowing down and spending time in nature that had a profound effect on both my body and mind. It gave me space to breathe, to reconnect with the land and, perhaps most importantly, to reconnect with a part of myself.

That feeling sparked a curiosity that has grown ever since, a desire to understand more about the land I grew up on, our history, our mythology and the people who came before us. And that journey eventually led to the creation of Loinnir Cabins, nestled among native woodland in North Mayo.

We are descendants of the Gaels, a people whose lives were deeply intertwined with the natural world around them. Their connection to the land shaped their traditions, beliefs, stories and the way they lived. For our ancestors, the land wasn’t simply somewhere they lived. It was part of who they were. The seasons dictated the rhythm of life, the landscape was woven through their mythology, and ancient places carried stories and meaning passed down through generations. There was an understanding that we belong to the land, and that the land belongs to us.