Ireland is full of breathtaking castles and castle ruins - thousands, in fact. Some of the most beautiful have been made appropriate to accept guests, creating truly amazing vacation experiences from a hotel to outside activities and beyond.
Dromoland Castle
Dromoland Castle has been preserved, changing very little in the time since it was built. It is built in a Gothic revival style, boasting four irregular, castellated turrets, a porch displaying the O'Brien arms, and views of the nearby lake. To the south of the castle are large gardens, where the 15th Baron Inchiquin took a gateway from Leamaneh to place at the walled garden's entrance. There has been a building on the area since the early 16th century, though the current castle was finished in the 1830s.
Lough Rynn Castle
Lough Rynn dates back almost 200 years. This Victorian manor house was the finest home in Ireland in its day. It was the Earl of Leitrim's ancestral home, boasting beautiful Gothic architecture that has been enhanced and further developed since it was first built. Secluded on the shore of the Lough Rynn lake itself, the castle offers one of the most unique and majestic hotel accommodations in Ireland.
Waterford Castle
Situated on a private island of its very own, Waterford Castle was essentially built first as a stone, tower-like structure with thick walls, a lead roof, and slit windows to serve as a Norman keep. In that time, the keep was the core of defense during battle, built sturdily enough to be unconquerable. When the keep was crumbling in the 15th century, another tower was built in its place - this is the heart of Waterford Castle today. The castle has grown bit by bit for over a hundred years, with east and west wings being added in 1875 and 1895, respectively, and rooftop gargoyles were brought from Manchester's Castle Irwell for installation. It is now in use as a luxurious hotel and an entire community has sprung up on the island.
Solis Lough Eske Castle
Able to trace its roots back to the 1400s, the Tudor-baronial Lough Eske Castle original construction was built in 1474. A date stone from 1621 still sits on the property. The castle was renovated lavishly in 2007, giving it the ability to provide visitors with the modern luxuries of a boutique hotel. The landscape surrounding the castle is as awe inspiring as the building itself, featuring hundreds of acres of pristine forest.
Ballynahinch Castle
The award winning Ballynahinch Castle hotel has a long tradition of hospitality. The castle now boasts an outstanding restaurant that is provided with fresh local produce and fish, terraced gardens next to the river, and a labyrinth of a walled garden for visitors to walk in. The hotel has fishing rights for the river and lakes nearby, 350 acres of wooded grounds, and offers daily walks around the estate so that guests can enjoy the landscape and perhaps see some of the wildlife that inhabits the area around the castle. Open log fires give visitors and lodgers the feeling of falling back in time.
Dromoland Castle
Dromoland Castle has been preserved, changing very little in the time since it was built. It is built in a Gothic revival style, boasting four irregular, castellated turrets, a porch displaying the O'Brien arms, and views of the nearby lake. To the south of the castle are large gardens, where the 15th Baron Inchiquin took a gateway from Leamaneh to place at the walled garden's entrance. There has been a building on the area since the early 16th century, though the current castle was finished in the 1830s.
Lough Rynn Castle
Lough Rynn dates back almost 200 years. This Victorian manor house was the finest home in Ireland in its day. It was the Earl of Leitrim's ancestral home, boasting beautiful Gothic architecture that has been enhanced and further developed since it was first built. Secluded on the shore of the Lough Rynn lake itself, the castle offers one of the most unique and majestic hotel accommodations in Ireland.
Waterford Castle
Situated on a private island of its very own, Waterford Castle was essentially built first as a stone, tower-like structure with thick walls, a lead roof, and slit windows to serve as a Norman keep. In that time, the keep was the core of defense during battle, built sturdily enough to be unconquerable. When the keep was crumbling in the 15th century, another tower was built in its place - this is the heart of Waterford Castle today. The castle has grown bit by bit for over a hundred years, with east and west wings being added in 1875 and 1895, respectively, and rooftop gargoyles were brought from Manchester's Castle Irwell for installation. It is now in use as a luxurious hotel and an entire community has sprung up on the island.
Solis Lough Eske Castle
Able to trace its roots back to the 1400s, the Tudor-baronial Lough Eske Castle original construction was built in 1474. A date stone from 1621 still sits on the property. The castle was renovated lavishly in 2007, giving it the ability to provide visitors with the modern luxuries of a boutique hotel. The landscape surrounding the castle is as awe inspiring as the building itself, featuring hundreds of acres of pristine forest.
Ballynahinch Castle
The award winning Ballynahinch Castle hotel has a long tradition of hospitality. The castle now boasts an outstanding restaurant that is provided with fresh local produce and fish, terraced gardens next to the river, and a labyrinth of a walled garden for visitors to walk in. The hotel has fishing rights for the river and lakes nearby, 350 acres of wooded grounds, and offers daily walks around the estate so that guests can enjoy the landscape and perhaps see some of the wildlife that inhabits the area around the castle. Open log fires give visitors and lodgers the feeling of falling back in time.
No comments:
Post a Comment