A 22-acre Galway farm and farmhouse, plus 7 alpaca, 6 pygmy goats, three glamping pods, spectacular stargazing, and on the Western Way outside Oughterard.
Address: Curraghduff Farm, Curraduff, Oughterard, Co. Galway, H91 R2Y7
Asking price: €670,000
Agent: Spencer Auctioneers
If you’ve been dreaming of heading into 2026 with a new life as well as a new home, then the alpaca farm and glamping business run by husband and wife Stuart and Ruth Newton outside Oughterard might tick all your wish list boxes.
Set along the Western Way, a 200-kilometre-long hiking trail that traverses the wilds of Co. Galway and Co. Mayo all the way to the Co. Sligo border, it starts in Oughterard, which is about 9.5 kilometres away from this farmstead.
The couple bought the property in 2017, having left their jobs in nursing in England.
“Our work-life balance was not quite right,” Ruth explains with great understatement.
They were ahead of the curve, escaping city living for a different sort of life before a lot of others did similar re-evaluations during Covid.
“We saw it on a really rainy day, and it was very muddy,” she recalls.
But the atmosphere was enough to convince them to move from England, bringing their then 14-year-old son along with them.
“Everyone thought we were a little bit crazy,” she laughs. But somehow it worked.
They developed a business offering alpaca experiences in 2019.
“We couldn’t meet demand,” she says. They grew the herd from four to 29, offering walks, meet and greets, and even yoga.
Then they developed the glamping business, getting planning permission for three units, which they rent out on a short-let basis on Airbnb.
There is a hexagon-shaped pod with a vaulted ceiling or a hobbit-shaped cabin, both timber-built or a shepherd’s hut to choose from.
Their 2024 turnover was approximately €60,000 without tours.
They pulled back on the tours last year. When running both, this turnover increased to about €90,000 in previous years.
The business operates mainly during the spring and summer months.
They close for three months over the winter and don’t employ anyone; the pair run all operations.
“We reduced the amount of work so we could enjoy the farm and have time to relax,” she explains.
The herd has been reduced, too. Currently, they have seven alpacas and six pygmy goats. The alpaca is very quiet. Instead of lowing cattle, they hum, she says.
“Reuben is the star attraction and loves a selfie. He’s a superstar.”
The detached house, which measures about 85 square metres, is lovely, although its G Ber-rating will likely need improvement.
It has views to Lough Corrib and a separate kitchen and living room, both of which are dual aspect.
The house is heated on an oil-run back boiler system from the Stanley range in the kitchen.
Enamelled in a Kelly green, it is set into an arched, exposed brick chimney breast.
They’ve upgraded the property by installing a new kitchen and bathroom as well as double-glazed windows.
There are three bedrooms, one bathroom and a guest W.C.
The third bedroom is used as a home office.
The property extends to just over 22 acres, across two separate fields that can be accessed via a registered right of way through a neighbouring landowner’s track.
The holding also includes farm buildings as well as an outdoor seating area and barbecue.
At this time of the year, the stargazing is spectacular, Ruth says.
“When I moved here, I’d never seen stars like it.”
Situated on the edge of the Connemara Dark Park, it boasts very low levels of light pollution.
Lough Corrib is a mere field away.
You can go down and swim there via a lane nearby, but the property doesn’t have direct access.
Ruth suggests taking a trip to the Hill of Doon for the most scenic lake swimming.
The setting is really rural, but the local taxi driver knows the address and ferries guests into Oughterard to its bars and eateries.
Their son Charlie is now 22 and moving to Edinburgh, and the couple are ready for their next big adventure.
Spencer Auctioneers is seeking €670,000 for the property.
