Please sign in to post.

Castled Out???

We're planning our itinerary - but I'm afraid I've planned too many castle/manor houses for my husband! Of the following, which ones do you think we should hold for another trip?

Malahide Castle
Belvedere House
Tullynally Castle & Gardens
Bunratty Castle
Powerscourtcourt
Russborough House

Thank you so much!!

Posted by
11056 posts

ABC can mean another bloody castle or cathedral according to my then college age kids. You are correct to vary the sites.
How long is your trip? The list is long with castles and houses, perhaps mix some nature into your itinerary.

Posted by
254 posts

My husband would concur with your daughter! I love castles but know that, for him, all things in moderation' is best... I have tried to balance - here is our tentative itinerary -
DUBLIN 4 nites
Day 1 Arrive - historical or Paddy Liddy walking tour, EPIC Museum, Jennie Johnston tall ship
Day 2 HOHO KIlmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery
Day 3 Malahide Castle, Str Patricks Cathedral for Evensong OR - Richmond Barracks, City Hall exhibits,National Gallery
Day 4 14 Henrietta St, Little Museum of Dublin, GPO Witness to History, Play at the Abby Theatre

The MIDLANDS 3 nites
Day 5 Pick up car (at airport?) Drive to Longford
Day 6 Belvedere House, Strokestown Park and Famine Museum
Day 7 Clonmacnoise, Tullynally Castle & Gardens, Kilbeggan (Lockes) Distillery

Day 8 The COAST 2 nites. Head to Castlebar/Ballinrobe 2 nites
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life,
Day 9 Westport and Clifden OR Ballina to Connacht Whiskey Company

Day 10 Mid Coast/outside Galway 2 nites
The Arran Islands OR Bunratty Castle
Day 11 The Irish Workhouse, Portumna

Day 12 Mountrath 2 nites
Irish National Stud/Japanese Gardens, The Curragh. Racecourse or Charleville Castle,
Day 13 Emo Court OR Thomastown/Newtown Jerpoint

Day 14 heading towards Dublin
Glendalough OR Russborough House
Day 15 To Dublin Airport
Day 16 Depart Ireland

Your thoughts would be most appreciated!!

Posted by
1337 posts

Just in case you weren’t aware, Powerscourt is a garden, not a castle or manor house. The original building burned. What has been rebuilt contains shops, a cafe and admin offices. The gardens are beautiful and worth a visit but there’s no castle to visit.

Posted by
254 posts

Oooh - good to know!! I'd not realized,... I'd thought it was a a manor house (Marriott Hotel) with gardens - and have my fingers crossed that we might have enough points to stay a night.,..

Posted by
1337 posts

I’m glad you have 14 Henrietta St in your itinerary. It was really interesting. My daughter, who thinks ABC means another bloody cathedral, very much enjoyed it.

Posted by
6386 posts

On our trips, we try to limit the number of castles, and churches, so we don’t get castled out. We stopped doing manor houses at all since after seeing so many, in a number of countries, they all look alike (not literally). Even with castles, churches, and monasteries, some we’ll go into and others will be drive by for taking photos. I don’t think you have too many at all, as long as you’re doing something different between them to break up the visits.

Posted by
2023 posts

Belvedere House and the Famine Museum are well worth a visit. We have been to National Stud Farm twice and loved it

Posted by
254 posts

Many thanks to you all! Perhaps we'll leave them on the list and, if 'castled out' hope there's a pub around the corner!

Posted by
2111 posts

Re: Powerscourt

When I read what one of the posters above said (that Powerscourt is JUST a garden), I went Googling, because I love gardens.
But, WAIT.....photo of a large, beautiful huge (looks ancient) house is shown. It looks lovely and seemingly worth a visit.

https://powerscourt.com/house

https://powerscourt.com/house/history (This references the fire, but looks like it has received an award since it was since restored).

More info? What am I missing?

Posted by
6733 posts

Don't do "the Arran Islands" as a day trip from Galway. Spend the night. Actually, consider spending two: on a v-e-r-y fast paced trip last summer, we spent 2 nights on Inish Mor, and it was (one of) the highlights of our trip. No castles or manor houses there. Other-worldly landscapes that go on forever, remote, wind-swept sea cliffs (as impressive as the Cliffs of Moher, IMHO, but without the crowds), stone-age forts, great stuff.

Posted by
1337 posts

Okay, so I am apparently the person who said Powerscourt is “just” a garden. Allow me to clarify. I was responding to the OP who was wondering whether too many castles and manor houses were on the prospective itinerary. I did not mean to belittle or otherwise imply that Powerscourt’s gardens are not worthwhile. They are. I have been twice and still have not seen the entire estate. I will go back the next time I’m in Ireland. It is worth a day, easily.

That said, Powerscourt is NOT a manor house. You will not see Slazenger family heirlooms, tapestries or Louis XIV furniture. The building is simply a shell of its former self. Inside is now a cafe, an omnipresent Avoca shop and ice cream.