by Tom Gannon
Hannah Logan in her article Magical Castle Hotels in Ireland (That You Can Actually Afford to Stayin!” ponders, “Do you dream about sleeping in a castle hotel in Ireland? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone…it is a bucket-list worthy experience.”
What are some things you are apt to encounter: ghosts and spirits, resident wolf hounds, medieval ambience, park-like grounds and gardens, unique architecture, antique furnishings, fairytale experiences, walking trails, flyfishing, cycling, golf, world-class spa service, axe throwing, skeet shooting, falconry, archery, armor collections, horse- back riding, shops, art galleries and gourmet cuisine.
How do I plan a vacation that incorporates Irish castle accommodations? First, decide how many days you want to stay in Ireland and what your budget will be. Castle accommodations can be as reasonable as $150 in the off-season for a three- star property and up to $400 for a five -star property in the summer. You will want to research the property to be sure it meets your definition of a castle. Some “castle” hotels don’t look like the stereotypical castle and are actually manor houses. The major tour operators: Collette, Brendan (Trafalgar), Globus, CIE, Celtic and Tauck offer tours featuring one or more nights in castle accommodations. If you want a mix of castles, manor houses and inns, you may choose to rent a car. Ireland has an amazing network of highways, courtesy of the European Union, so it never takes very long to get from one destination to another, unless you want to meander the backroads connecting rural villages to encounter a heard of sheep, a peat bog or rugged farmers in their wellies.
Remember you will be driving on the left side of the road. Picking up a car in Dublin center city or at the airport from Auto Europe provided by Dollar, and using September 1, 2021 as a date the cost for a week can range from $95 to $490. The more expensive car will be bigger, accommodating four passengers, more luggage space, automatic transmission, insurance with no deductible, no cancellation penalty. You can rent the next size down for $390, but don’t plan on four passengers with luggage. The economy car will be non-refundable. You may be responsible for any accidents/damage and will have to deal with a stick shift. The car will only accommodate two passengers. While gas is very expensive, the difference in milage from the bigger automatic to economy stick shift may only be 12 miles per gallon and Ireland is a small country. I have rented both automatic and stick shift in Ireland and would never rent the latter again. You can experience an Irish castle from Dublin by cab. Clontarf Castle Hotel is a $40 roundtrip cab fare from central Dublin.
When visiting Ireland, always have at least the first night’s accommodation booked, since you will be required to give an address to immigration when you arrive at the airport. If you need finding accommodations for subsequent nights, contact the local tourism office as soon as possible. Ireland is very popular with June through September as the most popular months. Booking in advance is the best plan. Booking in advance usually translates into a better rate on a 4-star hotel or at a 2-star guesthouse. The most expensive hotels often offer discounts of up to 50%, so you may be able to live like “royalty” on a budget.
Are you, now, ready to book a castle stay? I have stayed in five castle hotels in the three and four-star categories and can recommend all of them. Each was unique and offered the atmosphere, I was looking for. These included: Cabra Castle, Cavan; Ballygally Castle, in Northern Ireland; The Castle Townshend, Castletowshend; Belleek Castle, Ballina and Ballyseede Castle,Tralee.
For those desiring five-star luxury, most travel sites and writers would agree on these four castle properties: Dromoland, Adare Manor, Ashford and Lough Eske. The array of four-star castle hotels is very impressive. These include: Ballynahinch, Kilronan, Kinnitty, Lough Rynn, Abbeyglen, Kilkea, Waterford, Clontarf, Balleygalley, Castle Leslie, Ballyseede, Wilton, Cabra and Abbeyglen. Certain travel writers will place two or three of these properties in the five-star category. The bigger the hotel, in terms of rooms, the more likely it is that tour groups may be staying there. Just because a castle is not on the above list does not mean it does not have charm and atmosphere. In fact, few of the hotels listed above get the highest ratings from Trip Advisor.
Don’t overlook a three-star property such as The Castle Townshend which is located on the water and features 11 rooms with pricing for a double including breakfast as low as $115 per night. Several rooms have sea views and fireplaces. An added bonus is Mary Anns Pub & Restaurant, just a short stroll away. It features amazing seafood and steaks with reasonable “pub” pricing. If you have a group of ten or more, the most cost-effective
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