Margaret's Cottage B & B

08/09/2026

Scones, scones... and MORE SCONES.
Well, good morning from Margaret's Cottage, where I appear to have accidentally opened a small-scale scone factory. 🙄😂

I've been in the kitchen since eight o'clock this morning, mixing, measuring, rolling, cutting and baking...
Batch after batch after batch.
And would you LOOK at these beauties?

Golden. Gorgeous. Generous.
Crisp and craggy on the outside... soft, fluffy and fabulously buttery inside.
And the SMELL.
Oh my goodness.
I really do wish Facebook would hurry up and invent Smell-o-Vision, because the kitchen at Margaret's Cottage currently smells absolutely divine.

That warm, sweet, buttery smell of freshly baked scones is drifting through the house and, quite frankly, my powers of resistance are being severely tested. But my diet is still going strong and I MUST resist.

But, is there anything nicer than a scone straight from the oven?
I think not.

And that's precisely why, despite the small mountain I've already baked this morning, I'll be back at it again this afternoon.

Because today's afternoon-tea guesties will have their scones baked approximately 30 minutes before they arrive.
Not this morning.
Not at lunchtime.
Thirty minutes before.
Because I want them still slightly warm when they reach the table... just warm enough for a generous curl of proper butter to begin melting into all those lovely little nooks and crannies.
Then comes the jam.
Or the cream.
Or the jam THEN the cream.
Or the cream THEN the jam.
Actually...
NO. 😳
We're not doing that again.

I'm not starting anothe international diplomatic incident on my page before lunchtime.
You may construct your scone however you please. 😂

All I ask is that you don't skimp.
Pile it high.
Let the jam ooze.
Let the cream wobble precariously.
Get it on your fingers.
Get crumbs down your front.
Our beautifully ironed Irish linen napkins will help with any little mishaps.

Truth is, a proper scone should never really be eaten elegantly. No matter how delicate and proper one's afternoon tea is.

Meanwhile, I have a kitchen full of freshly baked, beautifully bronzed little beauties cooling on racks... and an afternoon tea arriving at two o'clock.
Which sounds AGES away.
It isn't.

There are sandwiches to slice, cakes to cut, tables to titivate, china to choose and approximately seventeen other things I've temporarily forgotten about but they will all be on my trusty time sheet.
Ooooh, I do love a list, or a time sheet.
Sad but true! 🙄

So why am I sitting here writing a Facebook post?
Excellent question.
I'd better get a wiggle on.

Have a lovely day, you wonderful bunch of smashers.
And now the important question...
Jam first or cream first?
Oh no,
Let's not start that debacle again. 😂🍓
Xx

06/09/2026

And something delicious for our vegan guestie...

06/09/2026

05/09/2026

Laundry, laundry and even more bloomin' laundry !

01/09/2026

Good morning, September! 🍂
September.
SEPTEMBER?!
How on earth did that happen?

I'm fairly certain the last time I looked it was March, I was waiting for spring to arrive and we were all wondering whether we might get a decent summer.
I appear to have blinked.....and it's autumn. 🙄

But what a simply sensational summer we've had.
Sunshine, sea views, summer evenings, golfers, guesties, garden days, afternoon teas... and an almost suspicious amount of blue sky for our little corner of Ireland.
It's been glorious.

And now suddenly the children are heading back to school, the trees are beginning to turn, there's that unmistakable little autumnal nip in the air, and Kelsey will soon be heading off to university.

Meanwhile, His Royal Furriness, Mr. Michael O'Shea, is deeply discombobulated by the whole seasonal situation.
Mr. O'Shea does NOT approve of rain.
Mr. O'Shea does NOT appreciate damp paws.
Mr. O'Shea believes summer should consist of approximately 365 consecutive days of sunshine, preferably accompanied by regular treats and a member of staff available to open his Garden Room whenever required.

Frankly, I think he's going to find autumn rather challenging. 😂
But here's the really alarming bit...
There are now only...
115 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS.
Sorry.
I'll just leave that there for a moment.
115.
🎄

Now, before anyone accuses me of mentioning Christmas on the FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER...
I would never do such a thing.
However...
If you happen to be the sort of frighteningly organised person who is already thinking about Christmas get-togethers, little festive celebrations and catching up with friends...
Our Christmas Afternoon Teas at Margaret's Cottage might just be worth popping into your diary. We've has so many bookings already, and most weekend dates have been snapped up, before I even mentioned the 'C' word... but there's lots of mid week availability.
There.
I've said Christmas.
In September.
Forgive me. 🙄😂

Of course, if waiting 115 days sounds entirely unreasonable, you could simply come for afternoon tea next week instead.
Much more sensible.
And if you need a cake...
Well, you know where I am.

Honestly though... 2026 has absolutely whizzed by.
It feels like only yesterday we were waiting for spring, and now we're heading towards cosy fires, crisp mornings, colourful leaves and that wonderful time of year when putting the heating on becomes a daily moral dilemma.

So welcome, September.
Please be soft, sunny and splendid.....mainly because Mr. O'Shea isn't emotionally prepared for anything else.

Have a lovely first day of autumn, you wonderful bunch of smashers.
Right then...
I'd better get a wiggle on.
Apparently I've only got 115 days to get ready for Christmas. 🙄🎄😂
Xx

27/08/2026

You know you want to....

26/08/2026

A little Wednesday afternoon apology… 😋

I’m very sorry if this has just dropped onto your phone or computer while you’re sitting at work, trying to be productive.
Because you could, of course, be somewhere entirely different…

You could be sitting in front of a roaring fire at Margaret’s Cottage, with a pot of tea beside you and this arriving at your table. ❤️

Proper little sandwiches, freshly made and cut just as they should be…
Warm homemade scones, straight from the oven, with generous bowls of cream and jam…
Chocolate-dipped strawberries, lemon drizzle cake, chocolate éclairs and those rather decadent little chocolate and caramel squares.
All homemade here at Margaret’s Cottage, especially for you.

There is something wonderfully indulgent about taking a couple of hours out of an ordinary day and having afternoon tea.
No rushing.
No washing up.
No wondering what you should be doing next.

Just sit by the fire, pour another cup of tea, decide whether you’re having just one more little cake… and let me look after you.

And really, when you look at these photographs, work suddenly seems terribly overrated. 😂

If you’d like to come for Afternoon Tea at Margaret’s Cottage, please send me a message through Facebook, drop me a direct message, or get in touch through the website.

Everything is prepared and baked fresh for you on the day, so afternoon tea does need to be booked in advance.

Send me a message and we’ll find you a lovely afternoon in the diary.

Ciara xx
Margaret’s Cottage — where a Wednesday afternoon could look considerably more delicious than it does right now. ❤️

25/08/2026

Well... I feel we need to discuss something terribly important.
Something controversial.
Something that has divided families, counties and perfectly respectable afternoon tea tables for generations.

Cream first.?
or jam first?
🤔

Now, apparently, if you're in Devon or Cornwall, this is VERY serious business.

One camp insists that the scone must be lavishly laden with cream first, followed by a glorious glossy dollop of jam.
The other considers such behaviour practically criminal and insists that jam goes first, followed by a magnificent mountain of cream.

And 🙄 then there's me...

Because here at Margaret's Cottage, I have a slightly different philosophy.
As long as there's plenty of BOTH, does it really matter? 😂

Because surely the really important thing is that the scone itself is freshly baked, beautifully golden, still slightly warm from the oven and sufficiently generous that you have absolutely no chance whatsoever of eating it elegantly.

Then we need proper jam.
And 🙄 cream.
Lots of cream.
None of this delicate little teaspoonful nonsense either. If we're having afternoon tea, we're having afternoon tea.

And 🙄🙄 of course, a proper Margaret's Cottage afternoon tea requires a few other essentials...
Beautifully precise little sandwiches. Freshly baked cakes and sweet treats. Crisp white Irish linen. Beautiful bone china. Antique teapots and gleaming silver. Proper tea.

And, (🙄 again?) as autumn starts to quietly creep towards Ardglass, perhaps a roaring fire in the drawing room while you sit comfortably, pour another cup and contemplate whether you could possibly manage just one more scone.

Spoiler alert...
You can. 😏
So I need to know.
Are you JAM FIRST or CREAM FIRST?

Or are you joining me in the far more sensible Margaret's Cottage school of thought...
WHO CARES? JUST PUT PLENTY OF BOTH ON IT. 😂

And 🙄 looking at the one in this photograph, I think you can probably guess which philosophy I follow.
And ( sorry) if all this talk of warm scones, clotted cream and jam has made you fancy an afternoon tea of your own, you're very welcome to come and join us at Margaret's Cottage.

Afternoon tea is by advance booking, because everything is prepared especially for you. I make and bake everything fresh on the day — from those precision-cut little sandwiches to the cakes, sweet treats and, of course, the all-important warm scones.

So there aren't trays of sandwiches sitting waiting in a fridge or scones hanging around hoping somebody turns up.
When you book your table, I know you're coming... and into the kitchen I go. 😊

If you'd like to book, just send me a message here on Facebook, drop me a direct message, or get in touch through the Margaret's Cottage website.

Then all you have to worry about is the really important decision...
Jam first or cream first?

Right then...
I'd better get a wiggle on.
All this talk about warm scones has suddenly made me feel the need to conduct some extremely important quality-control testing.
It's a tough job...
But somebody has to do it.
Xx ☕🍓

25/08/2026

Fancy some rather scrumptious afternoon tea?

20/08/2026

A statement from the Management.

Good morning.
Mr Michael O’Shea here.
I regret to inform you that there has been a serious breakdown in standards at Margaret’s Cottage.

I would like to draw your attention to the photograph.
That is me.
Sitting at the kitchen door.
On the 20th of August.
Staring at what can only be described as absolutely APPALLING weather.
Rain.
Relentless rain.
Great big ridiculous raindrops bouncing off MY patio, soaking MY garden and, most importantly, preventing ME from carrying out my usual important outdoor management duties.
I am not amused.

My ears are back.
This should tell you everything you need to know about the seriousness of the situation.

I have been sitting here for quite some time now, staring meaningfully at the Female Human.
She appears to be deliberately ignoring me.
I have stared at the rain.
I have stared at her.
I have stared at the rain again.
Still raining.

Frankly, I'm beginning to question her usefulness.

This is the same woman who can apparently make breakfast appear from nowhere, open tins of cat food using only her thumbs, operate the central heating and — most impressively — open the door to my Garden Room.
And yet...
She claims she cannot stop the rain.

Really?
I'm not entirely convinced.

I have therefore positioned myself here until the situation improves.
My morning patrol has been postponed.
My inspection of the flowerpots has been cancelled.
There will be no basking beneath the bushes.
No lounging in the sunshine.
No leisurely stroll to my Garden Room.
Instead, I am expected to remain INDOORS like some sort of common house cat.

The indignity.
Apparently, I just have to "wait for the rain to stop."
🙄

I have informed the Female Human that this is entirely unacceptable and suggested that she get a wiggle on and sort it out.
She laughed.
There will be consequences.
In the meantime, I shall sit here...
Silent.
Sullen.
Slightly soggy in spirit...and stare accusingly at the weather until the sun has the good sense to return.

Yours, in considerable displeasure,
Mr Michael O’Shea
His Royal Furriness
Head of Garden Security
Director of Door Opening
Senior Sunshine Supervisor
&
Clearly the only member of Management taking this situation seriously.
🐾

P.S. I have been offered treats as compensation.
Naturally, I accepted them.
This does not mean the matter is closed.