For full availability and enquiries please check aughnahoystaycations / Partytime gardens website. This is a community space developed on land donated by a local businessman and philanthropist. He had been involved in the entertainment industry for decades and each year supported a range of charities and good causes. As he wound his business down he decided that he should create a lasting legacy that would be a place where communities could come together, where children who were disadvantaged or suffering from illness could come and have fun. Having worked in interface areas and seeing the terrible legacy of the Troubles he determined that what was built should promote reconciliation and build peace and a better future. Conservation and animal welfare had also been causes close to his heart and when a group of local community activists came together to turn this dream into reality the location which became the home for the garden shaped the outcome. It was a hidden glen near the banks of the River Bank, once part of the ancient forests which covered the country. It was an area rich in myth and legend where locals still spoke in hushed voices about the little folk – the fairies. It was a special place and maybe that was because of the fairies or just because it was a place apart. The stillness and beauty which seemed to invite the noise and excitement is what it is all about. It soon took shape with local businesses and a team of volunteers laying paths through the trees, and building homes for the new animals that would make the woods their home. From the start it was a place of safety and sanctuary, so it is not surprise that in time it evolved into an animal rescue facility amongst other things. The animals that were cared for soon became stars of the show and almost without realising we became a community zoo. We are still not sure who benefits more from the interaction – the humans or the animals.

Welcome to Firgrove, the perfect stay for you and your family sleeping up to 9 people. Make use of the hot tub, BBQ area, swings, tree house, private kitchen and living area. Free WIFI, Netflix & a toasty fire pit with all wood supplied for the perfect evenings entertainment Apartment Bedroom 1 - 1 x Super King Bedroom 2 - 1 x Double Bed & 1 x Single Bed Bedroom 3 - 2 x Double Bed, 1 x Single Bed 2 Bathrooms with showers Kitchen with full utensils Central heating Unlimited free firewood Private Hot Tub free to use from Check-in to 11pm

With its idiosyncratic ‘square’ Portglenone shows some signs of having been ‘laid out’, or planned in the seventeenth century and, for a village of its size, it also retains a remarkable number of high quality, historic buildings. The beautifully designed and built Lanyon bridge, the First Presbyterian Church, the Church of Ireland Church and St Mary’s Catholic Church are all well into their second century while Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, formerly Portglenone House, is an excellent example of Georgian country house building. It was completed in 1808 but still retains many of its original interior and exterior features. World War Two, while seeming far away in time and place, has left physical reminders around the village with two sturdy gun houses which still ‘guard’ the village; and the ghostly footprints of the Nissan huts which can still be seen, bluebell surrounded, in Portglenone forest. The huts were home to thousands of American troops who prepared in this gentle landscape before going to fight on the beaches of Normandy. Portglenone Forest continues a history of mature woodland cover since ancient times, which protects the woodland flora and fauna. As such, the 26 hectare main area contains extensive colonies of ancient woodland flower species - Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Wild Garlic and many broadleaves and riverside walks. The swathes of bluebells in spring are especially remarkable, as is the Grove dedicated to Dr. Augustine Henry. Facilities include picnic sites, toilets with wheelchair access, and a number of waymarked Trails leading down to the Bann River .