Two Premium Escapes in County Waterford: Ardmore & the Blackwater Valley

Posted by Ewelina Wu on August 18, 2026 in Family, Featured Holiday Home, Inspiration, News & Offers, Travel Diaries

TL;DR

Two new premium properties have joined Trident Holiday Homes in County Waterford. Cliff Cottage Ardmore combines sea views, a walkable village location and access to selected Cliff House Hotel facilities. River Lodge Ballyduff offers a historic riverside setting, hot tub, private fishing access and Irish Independent Fab 50 recognition. Ardmore’s coastal heritage and the towns and attractions of the Blackwater Valley add plenty to explore beyond the properties

Two new additions to our Waterford collection

Two new properties have recently joined the Trident Holiday Homes collection in County Waterford, both offering something a little more distinctive than the usual self-catering stay.

Cliff Cottage Ardmore overlooks Ardmore Bay, with the beach, village and Cliff House Hotel within walking distance. River Lodge Ballyduff is a restored listed building on the banks of the River Blackwater, with more than 150 years of history behind it.

Both are premium properties, but with very different identities.

Cliff Cottage Ardmore

Cliff Cottage has one of those locations that immediately makes sense for a break in Ardmore.

The four-bedroom house overlooks Ardmore Bay and sleeps up to six adults and two children. Inside, there are spacious living and dining areas, a wood-burning stove and a separate den for children. The dining area looks out across the bay, keeping the sea very much part of the stay.

The village and beach are within walking distance, as is the five-star Cliff House Hotel.

Cliff Cottage guests have complimentary access to selected hotel leisure facilities, including the indoor infinity-edge swimming pool, outdoor heated jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and gym. Spa treatments, dining and other hotel services are separate and subject to availability.

Ardmore itself needs little introduction. The Cliff Walk, St Declan’s Well, Round Tower, Cathedral and beach are all close by, making this an easy place to enjoy without filling every day with plans.

Ardmore deserves more than a trip to the beach

Ardmore has a particularly interesting mix of coast and history packed into a small village.

The Ardmore Cliff Walk is a 3.9 km loop taking roughly an hour. The route follows cliff paths and quiet laneways around the headland, passing St Declan’s Well along the way.

The village’s history reaches much further back. St Declan is traditionally associated with establishing a monastery here in the 5th century, before St Patrick’s arrival in Ireland. The surviving monastic site includes a 12th-century Round Tower and Cathedral.

That history sits comfortably alongside the Ardmore of today. There is the beach for swimming and watersports, places to eat in the village and the Cliff House Hotel above the bay. Guests who want to venture further can also spend a day in Dungarvan or join the Waterford Greenway, the 47.8 km walking and cycling route following a former railway line between Dungarvan and Waterford City.

Cliff Cottage works particularly well because Ardmore is close at hand. A morning on the Cliff Walk, lunch in the village and an afternoon by the pool do not require much organisation.

River Lodge Ballyduff

River Lodge has a completely different presence.

The listed building stands beside the River Blackwater and dates back more than 150 years. It was originally used as a British garrison and later served as a Garda station before being carefully restored as a four-bedroom holiday home.

It now sleeps up to eight guests and has been recognised by the Irish Independent, which included River Lodge in its Fab 50 places to stay in Ireland.

The house is arranged across three levels, with a kitchen, dining area, snug and individually designed bedrooms. Outside, there are front and rear gardens, a built-in BBQ and an outdoor hot tub.

Guests interested in fishing can also arrange paid access to a private stretch of the River Blackwater.

Ballyduff and nearby Lismore give the property a strong West Waterford setting. Blackwater Distillery, Lismore Castle Gardens, Ballysaggartmore Towers and the Knockmealdown Mountains are all within easy reach, but River Lodge is also a property where spending time at the house is part of the appeal.

A few days in the Blackwater Valley

Ballyduff sits in a quieter corner of West Waterford, and there is plenty nearby for a few unhurried days.

One of the closest stops is Blackwater Distillery, based in a refurbished 1950s hardware shop in Ballyduff itself. The working distillery produces Irish spirits and offers tours and tastings.

Around ten minutes away, Lismore sits beside the River Blackwater at the foot of the Knockmealdown Mountains. The town has a remarkable concentration of history for its size, with Lismore Castle overlooking the river and seven acres of gardens contained within the castle walls.

Nearby Ballysaggartmore Towers are another curiosity worth seeing. The Gothic gate lodges date to the 19th century and sit within woodland where an easy 2 km loop takes around half an hour.

Cappoquin is also worth adding to a day in the area. Cappoquin House, an 18th-century Georgian house overlooking the Blackwater, has extensive gardens, while the surrounding area has strong connections to fishing, walking and the river itself.

There is enough here to explore, but River Lodge does not demand a packed itinerary. The hot tub, gardens and river give you good reasons to spend time at the house too.

Both properties are now available to book with Trident Holiday Homes. Explore Cliff Cottage Ardmore, River Lodge Ballyduff, or browse more holiday homes in County Waterford.

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