Ireland: Ashford Castle

On to the reason we were over in Ireland last September/early October, a three-night stay at Ashford Castle. And not just a random stay, we were there for a wedding! (We spent three nights at the castle, then had our final night at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis.)

Ashford Castle in Cong, County Galway, for many, many years was the home of the Guinness family. Yep, the same Guinness as in the beer you may (or may not) drink. But, now it's a 5* hotel, and in the grounds is the Lodge at Ashford Castle, which is where the wedding was. (And also where we were staying in a suite, thankfully on a wedding rate as it is very expensive to stay there - it's eye-wateringly expensive if you want to stay in the castle itself, FYI!). 

 

   

   

If you're also staying in the lodge, that doesn't mean you can't have a poke around the actual castle, which dates from 1228. Obviously there have been many changes since then, including the addition of the lodge to the estate in 1865 (built for the Estate Manager), and it's well worth a good poke around. Isn't it quite something? 

And, alongside having a poke around the castle if you're a guest there or a guest at the lodge, exploring the grounds is also a must, as well as walking through the estate to the nearby village of Cong which is famous for the 1952 film, The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne (pictured below). If you don't know much about said film, you soon will as the village is most definitely a living tribute to the film! 

It was definitely incredible to stay at Ashford Castle. Sadly, unless you're staying there (or eating there - we had excellent beef there btw), you can't have a mooch inside, though you can pay €5 to access the grounds and explore. Or, and we didn't do this as it didn't work out with the wedding timings, there's also a cruise which departures from the castle which explores the surrounding lake (Lough Corrib). Let me know what it's like if you ever get the chance to do it! x