Ashford Castle-County Mayo Ireland

Growing up, I think every little girl dreamed of living in a beautiful castle, so when our travel agent suggested staying in Ashford Castle for two nights during our trip to Ireland in September 2018, it was basically a no brainer.

We drove from Dublin, and it took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes. We had to get used to driving on the other side of the road, we had to adjust to the beautiful green surroundings, and we got excited about every sheep, Irish spring, and clover that we saw, so it honestly probably took us more like three full hours.

Entrance to the Castle.

We are also super funny about where to cut costs, so we did not use cellular data and only had Wi-Fi when there was free Wi-Fi available. Because of this, I had preprinted driving directions from the rental car company to Ashford Castle (yep like the good old days from MapQuest) and we used those to navigate with almost no problems).

Once we got out of the city, it was super easy to follow the directions straight to the Castle. As we began our approach, it continued to get more beautiful and more secluded. The castle is located just on the edge of Cong Village.

Driveway.

Ashford Castle is a 5-star hotel and is part of the Red Carnation Hotel collection. It is the former home of the Guinness family and is over 800 years old. The John Ford film The Quiet Man was filmed on the grounds and in the nearby Cong Village.

First glimpse.

The Castle is settled on 350 acres of landscaped gardens, ancient woodlands, and an emerald lake.

Checking in with the guard.

There are 83 rooms, 6 restaurants, 3 bars, an award-winning spa, a 10m pool, and countless activities to keep you entertained while feeling like royalty.

Drawing room.

There are SO many activities to take part in during your stay! You can book them in advance or work with the concierge when you get there. I am a control freak and was worried that things would be booked, so we booked all of the things we wanted to do in advance (except the Island Tour). Click the button below to see the full activity guide for 2023 along with details and pricing for each activity.

• Just a few of the offerings:

  • Spa

  • Falconry

  • Boat Trips

  • Clay Shooting

  • Equestrian

  • Bikes

  • Archery

  • Boutique

  • Golf

  • Tennis

  • Private Cinema

Warm personalized welcome to our room.

We stayed in a Corrib Room and had a lovely view of the entrance to the Castle and some of the water.

View from our room.

Our room included:

• 400 Thread Count Egyptian Cotton Bed Linen

• Voya Toiletries

• Free Wi-Fi

• Custom Designed Carpets

• Fresh Flowers

• Plush Bathrobes & Slippers

• Turndown Service

• 24 Hour Room Service

• Safe, Hair Dryer, Electronic Blinds, Iron, Ironing Board, Hair Dryer

• Complementary Quiet Man Movie & Cable TV with Movies on Demand

Heated floors and towel rail and electric blinds!

Once we checked in and finished oohing and ahhing over our room, we decided to check out the grounds.

The Castle overlooks the shores of the Lough Corrib.

The gardens are full of perennial boarders, fruit and vegetables, and woodlands that are home to ancient trees.

The gardens were largely created by the Guinness family who owned the Castle for around 100 years.

The fountain in the Tollman Garden.

The list of activities available is miles long, but for our first day we decided to check out the Island Cruise. It is 2 hours long and leaves every day at 2:45pm June 1st through September 30th.

On the Cruise you get to take a boat to the lakes most famous island and tour St. Patrick’s 5th Century Monastic Site. It is $30 for each adult and $15 for children 5-15 years old.

From the dock this is our room!

Waiting for the boat to arrive! The dock is only 100 yards from the front door of the Castle.

Corrib Cruises is a family run business. The boat has a full bar and toilet facilities on board. The upper deck is uncovered, but the lower deck is enclosed with central heating.

The Lough Corrib is the largest, cleanest, and most scenic lake in the Republic of Ireland.

The island tour is a 40-minute guided tour. If you don’t have proper footwear, you can borrow wellies from the Castle.

On the tour you will walk along the ancient trail through 100 acres of native Irish woodland.

Crossing into sacred ground

You will see the Church Of The Saints, built by the Augustinian monks of Cong in 1180 AD.

12th Century church built by monks.

You will also explore St. Patrick’s Church which was founded by St. Patrick in 450 AD.

7th Century church built by Saint Patrick.

You will also see the inscribed burial stone of St. Patrick’s navigator/nephew who was buried on the island in 470 AD.

Saint Patrick’s Navigator was laid to rest here.

You will also see the tomb of Archbishop Muirgeas O’Nioc, who was laid to rest on the island in 1128 AD.

Back on the mainland, we had a little time before dinner, so we decided to walk the grounds in front of the castle.

After a little walk through the woods, we wandered back to Cullens at the Cottage for dinner.

Views from the Cottage.

The restaurant is a lovely little traditional thatched cottage. It used to be Cong Cinema and actually was the first place to show The Quiet Man (even before the premiere in Hollywood). The dress code is casual, and the signature dish is the Chicken Peri Peri (slow cooked in rotisserie oven in the main dining area).

Cottage where we had dinner.

Reservations are required and seating is limited so it is recommended that you plan ahead of time.

The inside of the Cottage. Image from Ashfordcastle.com

View of the Castle from the Cottage.

You can dine for Lunch or Dinner, and they have a great selection of specialty cocktails that you can enjoy out on the patio as you take in the scenery. Click the link below to check out the dinner menu.

I had the Irish Scallops.

When we got back to the room, there had been a turndown service, and a little treat was left on our pillows.

The next morning before breakfast we explored the inside of the Castle a little before making our way to the George V Dining room.

The Billiards room & Cigar Terrace.

Because of the excellent service and incredible grandeur of the Castle, it attracts some pretty well-known guests. Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Ronald Regan, and The Prince of Wales just to name a few.

Breakfast is buffet style and is served in the beautiful George V Dining Room. It features paneled walls, Waterford chandeliers, and a splendor of delectable breakfast options. Everything on the menu is sourced from fresh, local ingredients. Click the link below to see the breakfast menu.

Photo of the George V Dining Room courtesy of Ashfordcastle.com

Our second day was action packed with activities, and we started the day with a lesson in Archery.

Archery is an hour-long activity that was around $110 based on one or two people. We were the only two people during our timeslot. We booked ahead of our trip by emailing the concierge. There is an indoor situation in case the weather is bad, but we got to experience the outdoor targets.

It is set up according to the National British Grand Championship guidelines with rubber 3D targets and using arrows that are the only ones of their kind in Ireland.

Our instructor started us out with the basics (how to hold the bow, how to aim, etc), and let us get some practice in. Once we got the hang of things, he started to get photos and videos for us, and then he incorporated some games.

After Archery, we went back to the Castle and got a chance to meet the Irish Wolfhounds!

Irish Wolfhounds

These are Irish sighthound dogs and are amongst the largest dog breeds in the world. They average 120 pounds and are typically hunting dogs or guard dogs.

Irish Wolfhounds are typically introverted, intelligent, and reserved in character. These guys were super easygoing and sweet, letting me get in for a pet and a cuddle.

You can accompany the dogs on their morning walk every Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8:15 am.

After snuggling with the Irish Wolfhounds, we took a stroll through the woods into Cong Village.

It was only about a 15 minute walk from the Castle to Cong.

After taking in the Abby, we saw some of the filming locations of The Quiet Man. In 1951 much of the film (staring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara) was shot on location in Cong and around the grounds of the Castle. We watched the movie for free in our room on our first night at the Castle so we would know what spots to be on the lookout for, but there were also lots of signs in town.

After our walk through the town, we went back to the woods to see the Pigeon Hole Cave.

Descending into the cave.

Looking up out of the cave.

All around the Castle grounds, the paths were clearly marked. Anytime there was anything interesting, there was a placard that explained what you were looking at. It was really nice to just be able to explore and take in the beautiful scenery.

Tasting a wild blackberry.

After the cave, we headed back to the castle to take part in our afternoon Hawk Walk.

The really incredible thing about the experience here is that you are actually at the oldest established Falconry School in Ireland.

We booked a private one hour Hawk Walk ($170 for two people) and got the opportunity to fly Harris Hawks under the guidance of our instructor.

Andes.

Once we got acquainted with our Hawks, we took off on a leisurely stroll through the ancient woods. We would release them, and they would soar off into the tops of the trees, and then we would call them back and they would swoop down and land in our gloved hands. It was truly an activity of a lifetime.

Andes and Sonora.

The guide was so knowledgeable, and told us a ton of fun facts about the Hawks, the history of Falconry, facts about the Castle and grounds, the history and breeding of our specific Hawks, and much more.

Our guide also took tons of photos and videos during our walk so that we could treasure our memories when we got back home.

After our busy day of activities and exploring, we settled down to dinner at The Dungeon.

Image of The Dungeon from Ashfordcastle.com

It was a super fun and unique setting for dinner, on the lower level of the Castle. It offered traditional Irish cuisine and a bistro style menu.

Image of The Dungeon courtesy of Ashfordcastle.com

They use as Josper Oven to roast and grill their meat, and take inspiration from South African Braai.

I enjoyed a beef filet.

The next morning, we reluctantly packed our bags to continue our drive through the countryside to our next destination. The two nights we spent at the Castle were some of the most memorable we have ever experienced traveling abroad together and we would highly recommend it if you are able to fit it in to your trip to Ireland. 2 hours and 45 minutes from Dublin, 45 minutes from Gallway, it is a must do for couples, friends, or families looking to enjoy some luxury and some incredible activities.

Some friends we passed during our drive.

Have you ever stayed at Ashford or any other castle? What was your experience like? Have you ever been to Ireland? Where did you stay? Drop it in the comments for others to read about!