Castles of Ireland

The dreams of staying in a castle recently became a reality during our trip to Ireland. While touring through Ireland you will see many remnants of historical buildings such as castles, churches, towers and fortresses. Some of these buildings have been restored or remodeled to allow guests to visit. Our stay included two such castles; Kilronan Castle and Fitzpatrick Castle.

Kilronan Castle

History

Kilronan Castle is in Ballyfarnon (Roscommon County), between Galway and Dublin. Originally built in the 1700’s, the property passed to the Tennisons and was known as Tennison Castle. In the 1800s, the Earl of Kingston bought and built up the castle to include a tower, gables and stained glass windows. The property stayed in the Kingston family until after the Boer War. In 1939 the property and much of the contents were sold at auction including priceless antiques and even a cabinet belonging to Napoleon.

The Land Commission acquired the property in the 1950s and it sat in disrepair. In 2006, Albert and Alan Hanley began restoring the castle to its former glory. Some of the antique fixtures and family paintings have been acquired to decorate the castle.

About Our Stay

Upon arrival we had a short tour to see some of the property and its amenities. There is a beautifully designed spa and also an indoor leisure/fitness area with indoor pool. The highlight of our short tour was seeing the wedding venue. Your journey to the glorious ballroom begins down the red carpeted stairs to a truly unique candle lit entryway with a medieval feel. The entryway opens up to a large ballroom with adjoining outdoor seating area. For anyone with a vision of a fairytale castle wedding this would be an ideal location! Many different wedding packages are available, including an outdoor wedding venue that overlooks the lake. With such a short stay, we did not have an opportunity to explore many of the outside spaces.

Our room for the night had two twin beds. Some rooms had double beds and there were also suites with large four poster beds. Dinner that evening was in a private area of the main dining room and was a true fine dining experience. Breakfast the next morning was in the same area.

Fitzpatrick Castle

History

Fitzpatrick Castle is in Killiney (Dublin County) not far outside of the City of Dublin. The original house was built in 1740 by Col. John Mapas and was called Mount Mapas. The property changed hands many times and various owners added improvements or additional buildings. In 1840 Robert Warren changed the name to Killiney Castle and restored some of the monuments on the property. Warren then donated some of the land for the parish church. In the 20th century the Black & Tans, IRA and Republicans used the castle during the Civil War. In the 1970s the Fitzpatrick family took over the property and turned it into a hotel. It is still run by the Fitzpatrick family.

About Our Stay

It was a very brief stay as we arrived just before dinner time and had to get up very early the next morning. Our room had two queen beds and a sofa bed. This room was very spacious! Our evening meal was in a private room with entertainment provided by The Irish House Party. **The Irish House Party is a group of traditional Irish musicians and dancers.

Which castle was my favorite? I would say Kilronan Castle. To me, it had that castle feel both inside and out. The wedding space was amazing and truly unique. The spa and leisure center were well designed and luxurious. I even made a new friend 🙂 He doesn’t talk much though LOL!