Arriving at the castle entrance steps, guarded by a pair of Irish wolfhound statues, the almighty Ashford Castle is preceded by a top-hatted gatekeeper at the estate entrance from the main road – equally friendly when I arrived soaked by rain on the last day of a week cycling as when I arrived in a car looking presentable. From gatehouse to castle, the private road winds past golf course and through woodland before crossing a narrow bridge over the River Cong. Here you can luxuriate in maximalism with an 800-year pedigree against the backdrop of the largest lough in the Republic of Ireland.
Why stay at Ashford Castle?
Inside, the décor blings with colour, textures, and scale. Contemporary pieces that draw on crafts and materials with Irish provenance are on display alongside antiques. In the Connaught room the vast chandelier is Donegal crystal, the green bar top in the Prince of Wales bar is Connemara marble, and life-size portraits on the walls are of previous castle owners.
Built in 1228, the castle passed through aristocratic hands via battle, Royal Grant and inheritance, until it was bought by The Guinness family in 1852. As a hunting lodge with salmon fishing and bird shoots it was a social lubricant for the nouveau riche family. Their illustrious guests included the Prince of Wales, later George V, and Oscar Wilde. In 1939 it was sold and opened as a hotel, passing through several owners until it was bought by the Red Carnation group in 2013. Leafing through the guest book in the gallery of the Oak Hall most visitors are American, but Irish visitors are also signing in.
Ashford Castle is a labyrinth of corridors and stairs, so a member of staff walks you to your room after checking in. It took me 15 minutes to get back to reception by myself. Consequently I recommend taking a photo of the fire exit map inside your bedroom door and memorising the colour of the staircases and what paintings to turn at.
What are the rooms like at Ashford Castle?
Undoing years of sleek Scandinavian influence on design zeitgeist, rooms here make the case for excess. Perhaps the only restraint is that each room has a dominant colour, which is picked up in different shades on upholstery, curtains, walls, and most rooms have customised carpets. Categories start at Corrib Room and progress through suites, President Reagan stayed in the Reagan Presidential Suite, to The Boathouse with a personal butler.
Staying in a Corrib Lake View room I could see the lough from my bed and bathroom. View aside, the bathroom was scenic with curving white-stemmed trees on silver walls. Eponymous Ashford Castle toiletries are supplied in large bottles that are refilled. Bathrobes are pale yellow with castle crest stitched in white, and over-turned cuff and lapel showing the white cotton towelling fabric that lines their inside.
What are the best things to eat and drink at Ashford Castle?
At the Prince of Wales Bar, don’t miss the cocktails that change with the seasons and use ingredients from the garden. I had a Summer Club: gin, lemon and passionfruit, with the tropical note enhanced by fresh pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) from the garden.
In the George V Dining Room, the vegetarian tasting menu (€165) is a lighter way to eat eight courses than the omnivorous version. Creativity in texture and technique as well as great produce means you won’t miss meat or fish. Roasted carrots included intensely seasoned white carrot, augmented with toasted pine nuts and chick peas, topped with sour red-veined sorrel leaves and bitter flower petals. Pine oil ice cream was a refreshing foil for dark chocolate bavarois with Irish cherries. Wine pairings by the sommelier include plenty made by Irish emigrants. There is a dress code for the George V dining room: no trainers or denim, and men should wear a jacket. Cullens at the Cottage and The Dungeon, respectively leaning into seafood and steak, offer informal dining.
Breakfast was my first with a sommelier. Champagne is on the drinks trolley along with smoothie of the day, and fresh juices. Ham cooked at the castle and carved to order deserved its wide recommendation by staff. I had it on Eggs Benedict, and a bit extra on the side.
What is the service like at Ashford Castle?
There is a feeling of connection to local community. Staff on shift have time to talk, and a lot of them are Irish. My waiter at dinner had been working in the castle for more than 20 years.
When I rang reception to ask for a kettle I was told, ‘You’ll be wanting a tea tray.’ Along with the kettle, fresh milk and assorted teabags, was a large bowl of chocolate shards decorated with the castle crest in gold.
What are the facilities like at Ashford?
With red seats, walls, and curtains either side of the screen the 32-seat cinema is theatrical. It can be hired for private use and there is also a programme of film screenings, including The Quiet Man, which was filmed in the castle grounds and surrounding area.
Éalú the fitness centre is sleekly functional with a 15-metre pool, gym, and classes in the exercise studio. In contrast the small spa pool, restricted to people using the spa and sized for floating and relaxing rather than swimming, is ornately surrounded with seashell chandeliers, plaster mouldings of mythical animals, and a tree of life mural.
Ashford Castle’s 350-acre estate has plenty of room for long walks, the most scenic sections being by the lough and in the gardens. Free guided walks include a morning walk accompanied by the castle’s Irish wolfhounds, a dawn chorus walk in May for early risers which sets off at 6.50am to listen to wild songbirds, and tours of the kitchen garden from June to October. There are also activities that can be booked including falconry, fishing, horse riding and lake cruising.
What’s the area like around Ashford Castle?
In Cong village, a fifteen-minute walk away, the Irish History Bookshop focuses on Irish landscapes and culture spanning children’s books to niche interests. A visit to the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Abbey easily segues into walking in Cong Woods to visit Pigeon Cave. Surrounding landscapes of Connemara’s heathery bogs and the loughs and valleys of southern County Mayo are worth seeing.
Why you should book a stay at Ashford Castle
A luxury hotel with a medieval castle at its heart, staying here lets you be part of the story. Autumn is when Ashford Castle inhabits fairytales with mist rising from Lough Corrib, and Cong Wood’s hazel and birch tree leaves turn yellow against the dark tannic water of the river. It’s all rather special.
During peak summer season, when room prices are over €1000, staying at The Lodge at Ashford Castle gives access to the estate grounds, leisure centre, and castle restaurants for substantially less.
DETAILS
Address: Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo F31 CA48
Price per night: From €487 (winter rate) - €1050 (peak season) for a Corrib Double at Ashford Castle, €225 (off peak) - €465 (peak) for a Deluxe King Room at The Lodge at Ashford Castle.
Closest transport: Galway City is a 45-minute drive
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