Keepers Arms
+2 photosAbout Keepers Arms
Keepers Arms is a Fáilte Ireland approved 2-star guest house in Bawnboy, on the Cavan coast, listed on Fáilte Ireland’s official register of quality-assured accommodation. It is a smaller, owner-run house of 9 rooms, the kind of place where you deal with the people who actually run it.
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Claim this listingStaying in Bawnboy
A small crossroads village in west Cavan’s lakeland, between the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the border with Fermanagh.
Bawnboy is a small village on the N87 between Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar in west Cavan, part of the old parish of Templeport. It takes its name from an early defensive bawn, a stone-walled enclosure for livestock, and its most substantial historic building is the former Bawnboy Workhouse, built in 1852 to house the poor of the district, a reminder of how hard this quiet lakeland countryside was hit in the famine era.
A stay here is really about the surrounding countryside rather than the village itself. Ballyconnell, a few minutes away, sits on the Shannon-Erne Waterway, so boating and towpath walks are close at hand, and Cavan Burren Park, with its dolmens and wedge tombs set among ancient woodland, is a short drive north. The Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, just over the border in Fermanagh, is also within easy reach for anyone based in Bawnboy.
Things to do near Keepers Arms
The Shannon-Erne Waterway at Ballyconnell
A short drive from Bawnboy, Ballyconnell sits on the Shannon-Erne Waterway, the restored canal linking the two river systems, with a marina and towpath walks that make it easy to spend an afternoon on or beside the water.
Cavan Burren Park
A short drive north of Bawnboy, this upland limestone landscape holds megalithic tombs and dolmens set among ancient hazel woodland, with waymarked trails explaining the archaeology and geology together.
Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
Just across the border in Fermanagh, this Unesco-listed geopark includes show caves and a wider network of walking trails through limestone countryside, making it a natural add-on to a stay in Bawnboy.
Templeport parish heritage
Bawnboy’s history as part of Templeport parish, including the 19th-century workhouse built to house the district’s poor, gives the village a quieter, more local kind of history than the county’s bigger towns.
Getting to Bawnboy
Bawnboy sits on the N87 between Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar in west Cavan, about thirty minutes from Cavan town and a similar distance from Enniskillen across the border in Northern Ireland. There is no rail service in this part of the county, and bus links are limited, so a car is the practical way to reach Bawnboy and to explore the lakeland and border countryside around it.
Booking Keepers Arms direct, and what the rating means
A real, assessed guest house
Keepers Arms holds a 2-star guest house rating under Fáilte Ireland's National Quality Assurance Framework, assessed against the bedrooms, bathrooms, breakfast and welcome rather than self-declared. It's an independent signal you can trust before you book, separate from any platform's own review score.
No fees, no middleman
Ring the owner, or use the contact details on this page, and arrange the stay with the house rather than through an app. No booking fee added to your bill and no commission taken from the owner, so the room rate you agree is the room rate you pay.
A better stay, direct
Owners answer the questions a booking platform never will: whether the room at the front is quieter, how early breakfast can be served, or where to park for a few days. Speaking to the house directly is how B&Bs in Ireland were booked for decades.
Still deciding where to base yourself? Browse more B&Bs in Cavan.
Check availability at Keepers Arms
Send the owner the details of your stay and they will come back to you directly. No booking fee, no platform in between, just Bawnboy on the other end.
Keepers Arms, common questions
Where is Keepers Arms?
Keepers Arms is at Bawnboy, Ballyconnell, Bawnboy, Co. Cavan (Eircode H14 YE24). Give the Eircode to your sat-nav to find the door.
How do I book Keepers Arms?
You contact the owner directly, by phone or the enquiry form on this page. DirectBnB adds no booking fee and takes no commission, so you arrange the stay with the house itself and pay the room rate with nothing on top.
What star rating does Keepers Arms have?
Keepers Arms is a Fáilte Ireland approved 2-star guest house under Fáilte Ireland's National Quality Assurance Framework, and guests rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 139 Google reviews.
Is Keepers Arms suitable for families?
Yes, Keepers Arms is listed as family friendly. Ask the owner directly about room configurations and cots when you book.
How many rooms does Keepers Arms have?
Keepers Arms has 9 rooms. As a smaller, owner-run house it is worth booking ahead, particularly in summer and over weekends.
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