Greetings fellow travelers,
I'm headed to Ireland next year for my 40th Birthday and wanted to spend my birthday at a castle. I was pretty set on Ashford Castle but am having a hard time justifying the price $1k a night. I would like to stay somewhere different, comfortable and stress free. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Dromoland castle...... not quite as castley as Ashford, but very close.
About 10 min from Shannon/Bunratty area.
just wanted to add that I thought sometime on one of my trips to Ireland, I might want to stay in a castle.
However, after checking out the aforementioned one, Dromoland, I have changed my mind. Are you prepared to dress for dinner? That is what you do at a castle. Harp player playing in the dining room, wait staff in tuxes. Felt very stuffy to me. I no longer want to spend the night in a castle.
We stayed at the Lodge at Ashford castle. On the same gorgeous property, with the same great service, access to all the same activities but much more affordable.
I agree you should try the lodge at Ashford castle it is magical! While there take the Falconry class, we did this on our honeymoon and it is the ultimate backdoor experience.
The Irish Landmark Trust has some unique properties, as well as a few castles and towers that might be of interest: https://www.irishlandmark.com/propertytag/castles/.
We stayed at Clontarf Castle in Dublin, it is not downtown Dublin, probably considered a suburb. It was easy to walk to public transportation which takes you right to Dublin. Loved it, not as pricey as Ashford.
We didn't stay at Clontarf Castle; instead, a B&B in Clontarf. This is just to echo the above post about the convenient public transportation (city bus) to and from the area. Frequent buses; helpful drivers; never felt uncomfortable, even returning well after dinner time on occasion. Approximately 15 minutes each way, part of which tracks the scenic Dublin bay. We also found some great dining in the neighborhood on evenings when we didn't want to go back into the City.
We just came back from a tour of Ireland where we stayed in 8 different castles. Our favorites were not the fanciest ones, but the ones where we had the most fun - Ballyseede Castle and Abbeyglen Castle. Both had such a great atmosphere for socializing and getting to know fellow guests. We’re not super social people, so we were really surprised at how comfortable and fun those places were for us. We had an absolute blast!
Hi Stacey.
There is only 1 real castle to stay in when you visit Ireland. Kinnitty Castle in Co Offaly! This place is amazing. Give them a call and book a meal with your stay, they do great deals!
Best,
Mike
