Best Off-Grid Cabins Near Dublin (2026): Our 3, Honestly Compared

The best off-grid cabins near Dublin, if you ask us (and you're on our Journal, so you sort of did), are the three on Samsú: Saoirse and Cucu on the Meath–Westmeath border, about an hour's drive, both with a forest sauna session included — and Tigín, on a working farm in Wicklow. They're all bookable on Samsú, so I guess you could say this is not a neutral roundup — but rather an honest comparison of all three, written by me (Rosanna). I have stayed in all three and know exactly who each one suits, who it doesn't and which one to pick for the trip you're planning.

Quick answer

• Saoirse — Meath–Westmeath border · ~1 hour from Dublin · sleeps 2 · forest sauna + outdoor bath in a forest · from €220 a night (two-night minimum) · the original, and designed for digital detoxing
• Cucu — same land as Saoirse · ~1 hour · sleeps 2 · forest sauna + outdoor copper roll top bath · from €230 a night (two-night minimum) · quite possibly the most unique cabin in Ireland, also designed for digital detox
• Tigín — Wicklow · about an hour from Dublin · sleeps 2 · wood-fired sauna and copper roll top bath on Tim's working farm · views of the Wicklow Mountains and close to Glendalough hikes

The three, honestly compared

Your choice depends on a few factors — want to lock your phone away? Bring your dog? Forest bathe? Here's a description of each, and how to pick.

Saoirse — the original

Saoirse is Ireland's original digital detox cabin, tucked into the edge of a laurel wood on 300 acres of woodland, meadow and a lake on the Meath–Westmeath border — about an hour from Dublin, between Athboy and Delvin, with the exact spot shared after booking. Huge picture windows frame the forest, there's an outdoor bath under the trees, and a three-hour session in the forest sauna is included in every stay. It's designed to be experienced analogue: you'll arrive to a phone lockbox, a polaroid camera, board games and books, and a cassette player with our favourite tapes.

Who it suits: couples who want a genuinely screen-free few days, bath people, first-timers — and dogs (welcome for a €40 cleaning fee, on a lead around the wildlife). Honest limitation: you'll meet one or two people each day walking the land, so if you want something totally secluded, choose Cucu or Tigín.

I designed Saoirse to feel like you are totally immersed in nature, but with all of the comforts — everything you need, and nothing you don't. PS — my dad and I burned each and every cassette tape you'll find in there.

— Rosanna, Samsú founder

Cucu — the bigger sibling

Cucu sits on the same land as Saoirse — far enough away that you'll never see it, close enough that two couples can book both, share a fire by night, and keep their own quiet by day (about a five-minute walk apart). It's the larger of the two, with a fully equipped kitchen, log burner, outdoor fire pit, and the same included three-hour forest sauna session. Cucu was made for the design lovers, and we hope you can see why! The same analogue kit is waiting on arrival, and guests keep telling us about the outdoor bath under the fairy lights — one couple's review mentioned slow dancing upstairs to David Gray, which I think about a lot.

Who it suits: design lovers who want to stay in unique spaces, and those who want a digital detox stay. Honest limitation: no dogs! Four-legged friends book Saoirse or Tigín instead.

Tigín — the Wicklow off-grid cabin

Tigín is the first cabin in our Curated collection — it belongs to Tim, whose family farm it sits on in Wicklow, and it's reached by a 300-metre walk through a meadow, which is exactly the right way to arrive anywhere. The cabin has incredible views of the Wicklow Mountains that can be soaked up from bed. It also has air conditioning and an impressive cassette sound system. PS — dogs are welcome too.

Who it suits: those who want to access nearby hikes, and anyone who loves unlimited sauna with a view. Honest limitation: no wood burner — so if you like a fire stove inside, book Cucu or Saoirse.

Tigín was the first cabin we added to our Curated collection and I hope I don't need to explain why — it's beautifully designed and shares the Samsú ethos of slowing down in nature.

— Rosanna

An hour from Dublin, a world away.

How to choose

• First off-grid stay, or a proper screen-free weekend: Saoirse. The lockbox, the bath, the original — start where we started.
• Want something more design-led and unique? Cucu.
• The walk is the weekend: Tigín — Glendalough and the Wicklow Way within reach, and Tim's farm underfoot.
• Four of you: book Saoirse and Cucu — same land, shared fire, separate quiet. It's the only way we do groups, and honestly it's the best version of a group weekend we know.
• Bringing the dog: Saoirse or Tigín, on a lead, €40 — not Cucu.
• Winter: any of them — the fire-and-sauna weekend is what the Westmeath pair were built for, and short days suit a cabin better than they suit almost anything else.

Key takeaways

• Samsú offers three cabins near Dublin: Saoirse and Cucu on the Meath–Westmeath border, Tigín in Wicklow — all about an hour's drive, all sleeping two.
• Saoirse and Cucu include a three-hour forest sauna session, logs and locally roasted coffee with every stay, and both come with the Samsú analogue kit — lockbox, film camera, replacement Nokia.
• Tigín is the walker's pick — a working farm with Wicklow Mountains National Park about half an hour away.
• Groups of four book Saoirse and Cucu together; everywhere runs a two-night minimum, most weekends three.

Frequently asked questions

How far are Samsú's cabins from Dublin?

About an hour's drive: Saoirse and Cucu sit on the Meath–Westmeath border between Athboy and Delvin, and Tigín is in Wicklow, south of the city. Exact locations are shared after booking — the cabins are set away from roads on purpose, with designated parking a 300-metre walk from your door.

Do the cabins have saunas?

Yes — all three have wood-fired saunas: Saoirse and Cucu both include a three-hour forest sauna session with every stay, and Tigín has unlimited use of its sauna throughout your stay.

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcome at Saoirse and Tigín for a €40 cleaning fee, kept on a lead at all times — around the wildlife, and around Tim's livestock. Cucu is the no-dogs one.

Is there Wi-Fi at the cabins?

Only Tigín has Wi-Fi — Saoirse and Cucu do not, and that's by design: they're our original analogue series, with a phone lockbox waiting in the welcome kit.

Can more than two people stay?

Each cabin sleeps two adults — but Saoirse and Cucu are on the same land, about five minutes apart, so a group of four can book both and share the fire pit by night.

What's the cheapest time to book?

Midweek and outside high summer. All three run a two-night minimum, with most weekends at three.

Rosanna Irwin is the founder of Samsú, Ireland's most curated places to slow down in nature. She left a career in tech to put cabins in Irish forests, has stayed in all three of these more times than the accounts strictly justify, and Samsú has been featured by the BBC, Dwell and the Irish Independent.

A few slow days in Irish nature.