Information for Renters

The Hilltown, located about 7 miles south of Donegal Town in County Donegal, is now available to rent!  The Hilltown just completed some exciting renovations and added living space, bedrooms, and upgraded equipment. You should check out the photos from around the Hilltown to look inside and around the immediate area. Reservations to stay at the Hilltown should be made by visiting http://www.vrbo.com/131249.

House Operating Instructions

• Alarm System: Control panel is located on west wall of Utility (Mud) Room. Geoffrey will disarm it while you are in residence and will reset it after your departure.
• Circuit Breaker: Located on the wall to the right of the Utility Room outside door.
• Dishwasher: Be sure that the white large three-prong plug at the right hand end of the Kitchen sink counter is plugged in and that the outlet rocker switch has been turned on (so that red shows) before use. Place a 5 in 1 pellet in rectangular soap dispenser on door of dishwasher. Controls are on top edge of door and are self-explanatory.
• Electric Lights: Many of the light bulbs are energy efficient and take a while to reach full luminescence. Have patience! Kitchen and Dining Room light switches have rheostats so that luminescence can be adjusted.
• Electric Outlets: The Irish electrical system operates with a potentially lethal 220 volts. There are two types of outlets in the house - a small three-prong outlet for low power items such as table lamps, and a large three-prong outlet for heavier duty items such as a toaster. The latter outlets have rocker switches located right beside them that must be switched on (so that red shows) for power. Do not try to force any other type of plug into these outlets!
• Equipment Operating Manuals: All manuals should be located in right-hand drawer of sideboard in Kitchen.
• Fire Fighting: There is a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket container hanging on the end of the Kitchen counter nearest the Dining Room door and a fire extinguisher hanging to the right of the Upstairs Bathroom door. There are smoke alarms on the ceilings of the Downstairs and Upstairs Hallways.
• Fireplaces: The house has five fireplaces. Two are in upstairs bedrooms and these should not be used! Flues have not been installed and they therefore represent a fire hazard. The Dining Room fireplace works fine. You might have to open a window slightly to allow for a draft. Turf and wood is located either in the Boiler Room (out the Kitchen door and to the right) or in the red shed (out the Utility Room door and to the left). Use a small block of starter material along with some kindling to get fire started. The kitchen and sitting room fireplaces have been fitted with special grates and hoods to prevent smoking. You may still have to crack a window until a good draught has been achieved.
• Garbage & Recycling: Put all garbage and trash in plastic bags, and put overflow from Kitchen garbage container in large garbage/trash container outside Kitchen door. Bottles, cans, plastic, and paper must be recycled and should be placed in separate containers in Kitchen. You can drop the latter at the recycling center in Laghy just off the N15 before the petrol (gasoline) station, or arrange with Geoffrey to remove both.
• Heating System: Oil fueled boiler (our central heating system) is in Boiler Room (out Kitchen outside door and to the right). Temperature dial on front of boiler controls the temperature of the circulating water and should be set between No. 1 and 2. Kill switches for the boiler and the circulating pump are on wall to the right of the boiler and should be left on. Heating system "on/off/automatic" switch is located on wall to the right of the Utility Room sink. Downstairs zone thermostat is located in Kitchen to the left of the door to the Hallway. Upstairs zone thermostat is located to the left of the Upstairs Bathroom door.
• Hot Water: Hot water immersion heater is located in the closet under the staircase in the Utility Room. Two rocker switches are located on wall opposite Immersion Heater and should be set to "On" and "Tub". Set rocker switch located to right of upstairs Bathroom door to "On" so that red light shows. Downstairs shower has instant hot water. (See "Shower Downstairs" paragraph.)
• Keys: Geoffrey McClay will have provided you with a complete set of guest keys. While you are in residence and out on short trips, you shouldn’t have to lock the outside doors, however if you will be away for a day or more, please lock all outside doors. Please be sure to return these to Geoffrey at the end of your stay.
• Microwave: Select wattage setting (90 – 1000), select time using time knob, and press "Start". See manual for additional questions.
• Outside Doors: Insert key and turn counterclockwise. To open, push handle down. To close, push handle all the way up. To lock, turn handle up to close, then insert key in lock and turn clockwise.
• Oven & Hob (Stove): Turn wall switch on so red light shows, turn oven selector knob on left for type of cooking and turn right selector knob for temperature. Hob or stovetop is self-explanatory. See manual for additional questions.
• Shower Downstairs: Pull hard on drawstring to left of shower to turn instant hot water system on, then use dials on control box in shower to select temperature and volume. When finished using the shower, please pull drawstring to turn instant hot water system off. (help save energy)
• Telephone Operation: The Hilltown number is 074 973 4046. To call an international number, punch in 00 + country code (1 for USA ) + area code + number. For Directory Enquiries for Ireland/Northern Ireland, punch in 1190. For other International Directory Enquiries (excluding Britain), punch in 1198.
• Toilets: One crank of toilet handle is the economy flush. Two cranks empties the tank.
• TV: Use the Sony Remote to turn TV set on. It must be preset to Channel 1. Use the SKY Remote to choose channels by pushing "TV" button, then power button and then the "SKY" button all at the top of the SKY Remote. Then press "TV Guide" button to select categories and individual selections.
• Utility (Mud) Room: Please use Utility Room outside door for normal ingress and egress, especially on those rare occasions when it rains in Ireland. Muddy boots or shoes and wet rain gear should be left in the Utility Room.
• Washer & Dryer: Be sure to turn wall switches on so that red light shows for both washer and dryer. Utility Room sink hot water control is on left and cold is on right!