Ireland Castles To Spend The Night In
Ireland: 3 Amazing Castles
To Spend The Night In
If you’re heading to Ireland, then add spending the night in a castle to your itinerary!
Ireland is home to over 3,000 castles and many have been converted into hotels over time.
Here are 3 amazing castles I personally recommend at different price points.
You can watch the recap from my Tiktok here:
1. Abbeyglen Castle Hotel
This beautiful hotel is the most reasonably priced of the three! Located in Clifden there is so much to see nearby so it’s a perfect place to stay!
Nearby sights:
- Kylemore Abbey
- Drive the scenic Sky Road
- Walk into the town of Clifden
- Explore the nearby Clifden Castle
What I loved about this unique stay was the unlimited champagne hour that led into the brief history talk about the castle before dinner. Dinner itself was a delightful experience! If you’re staying at the hotel, be sure to book the full dinner experience as well.
After dinner, they had live music in the castle. Everyone gathered around the piano and kept ordering drinks as the musician took requests. It was a fantastic evening!
You can book the experience at Abbeyglen here.
“Abbeyglen Castle was built in 1832 by John d’Arcy of Clifden Castle. It was leased to the then parish priest as Glenowen House. In 1854, it was bought by the Irish Church Mission Society for use as a Protestant Orphanage. It was here the girls were trained for domestic service. The Connemara Orphan Nurseries operated until 1955 when it closed due to financial difficulties.
In its final years it became a mixed orphanage with, for example, seven boys and four girls in 1953. These were supported by donations from local patrons plus various investments. After its closure, the building fell derelict and was home to cattle and sheep for some time.
The property was purchased by Mr. Padraig Joyce of Clifden and he and his wife operated the Glenowen House Hotel in the 1960’s. The Hughes family interest began in 1969 and, since then they have developed Abbeyglen Castle into one of Connemara’s premier hotels.”
2. Clontarf Castle
This historic castle is incredibly luxurious! While it is more expensive than Abbeyglen, the rooms are super upgraded and modern. The art in the castle is phenomenal. It’s a fantastic place to just wander and explore. I cannot recommend this place enough!
Dublin city center is 10-15 minutes away by Uber or taxi. Be sure to check out some of these nearby sights:
- Temple Bar
- The Guinness Factory Tour
- Little Museum of Dublin
- Celtic Nights Dance Show
You can book your room here.
3. Ashford Castle
This incredibly luxurious castle is beyond expensive but jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Full disclosure? I didn’t actually spend the night here but just toured the grounds and had a tea onsight. We made friends with a groundskeeper who let us explore longer than we should have been allowed, ha!
But this spectacular castle that was once owned by the Guinness family is absolutely dripping in luxury. Just 50 minutes from Galway, this might be a worthy honeymoon splurge!
You can check out their website here.
More on Ireland:
- ULTIMATE IRELAND GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS – MAY 2023
- IRELAND GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: 2022
- 10 TIPS FOR A ROAD TRIP IN IRELAND
- 20 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOUR TRIP TO DUBLIN
