Castles and Manors in Ireland
 

My husband and I will be spending 14 days during our first and maybe last trip to Ireland in September 2014. He has a definite limit on the number of castle/manor interiors he will tour. I think 8 would be his outside limit in 14 days. We will have 3 nights in Dublin, then rent a car. Our itinerary is not yet fixed but we will probably stay south of the M6.

What are the best castles/manor houses/abbeys to visit? Do Bunratty, Muckross, Kylemore Abbey, Kilkenney Castle, Dublin Castle, St. John's Castle, Cahir Castle, and the Rock of Cashel, make your list ? Suggestions for what we can skip would be appreciated. We have visited lots of "great houses" and some ruins in England, so don't need to see just masses of antiques, but are interested in the unique and interesting.

The Rock of Cashel, Kylemore, Kilkenny, Ross Castle (in Killarney) and Muckross House would be MY 'Short List'.

You don't get to see much of the interior at Kylemore, but the settings and surrounds are worth the visit. Cashel is a massive Monastic Ruin and also picturesque. Kilkenny Castle is a many times remodeled masterpiece of English design. Ross Castle offers a terrific tour of a true, Tower House fortress. Nearby Muckross has beautiful gardens, and an extensive exhibit of Traditional Farmsteads and the exquisite Elizabethan Manor House.
King John's Castle is undergoing MAJOR remodel and repair, but should be open soon. Dublin Castle is only partially open as it is a functioning Government office. Cahir Castle is a nicely restored fortress.
Some other sites worth considering would be: Aughnanure: http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/West/AughnanureCastle/
Kilmacduagh: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Kil...%20Galway.html
Clonmacnoise:http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ireland/clonmacnoise
Aughnanure is a fully restored fortress dwelling. The last two are uniquely IRISH in nature, design and execution.

Thank you, Italian Chauffeur. Aughnanure and Kilmacduagh look like good replacements for Dublin and St. John's Castles. They would appeal to a guy. So Kylemore just a drive by? Ross Castle beats Bunratty or totally different?

I'd leave Dublin Castle off the shortlist. Interesting for some but mostly the tour just consists of trekking through the State Rooms used by visiting dignitaries.

Kylemore probably best as a drive by, maybe visit the craft shop and walk up as far as you can without paying. Not worth the extra $$ and time if you are all castled out, the best thing about it is the setting (and this from someone who went to school there!)

Italian Chauffeur's shortlist is great as they are all very different from each other so you wouldn't get too much "visitor fatigue". I like Aughnanure a lot as it is a very accessible site on the way to connemara (so not off the beaten track) and you can spend as much or as little time as you like. It's not a great big long boring tour like trekking round some of these great houses, more a nice site where you can scramble over the ruins and then take a short time to visit the tower house itself.

Perfect timing for this post - I appreciate the info too!

Just an update on Italian Chauffer's port, from someone who will be there in 6 weeks, King John's Castle is now reopened! http://www.shannonheritage.com/KingJohnsCastle/

Thanks for the feedback. Aughnanure sounds like a must. Happy wife=happy life. Happy husband=more travel.

It's been a couple of years since I've toured Ross Castle, but I remember the detail and wealth of information received on the tour. I REALLY like Bunratty Folk Park -- for a LOT of reasons -- but the Castle there (though worth a visit) was one of my least interesting Castle visit.
From LONG ago: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...k-who-knew.cfm

The grounds at Kylemore are VERY photogenic -- I particularly liked the Chapel. The 'Tour' of the House is limited to just a couple of rooms on the Ground Floor, though. Unless you are 'Into' Gardens, probably not worth a LOT of time.

For other sites while in the Connemara, though, check out Tony2Phone's EXCELLENT map: http://ireland.activeboard.com/t5005...-galway-route/

My Great Grand Uncle thanks you for liking his work ;) and I thank you for liking a bit of mine (one day I will get back to that)

Bunratty for the folk park (pre book on line), Cashel and down the road Cahir are contrasts of Irish then Norman architecture.

There are a couple of Castles and Kilmacduagh in my contribution to Ireland Travel Kit http://www.irelandtravelkit.com/author/tony/ there is a section of that just for castles..and other things.

We loved Kylemore Abbey and its chapel. The grounds and gardens are beautiful also. If you visit Cahir Castle you can walk along a stream to the Swiss Cottage-about a mile from Cahir. Don't notice many people mentioning the National Stud Farm near Kildare--a must see if you love horses and the Japanese Garden there is very special.

Not sure the National Stud qualifies as a Castle or Manor? but yes worth a visit as is the Rock of Dunamase just down the road..

Thank you all so much for your comments. Kylemore definitely on a list. But not as an "interior." I may include Bunratty under guise of medieval dinner with attached Folk Park. Ireland farms studs? I gotta go there! ☺️ Cashel and Cahir will remain on my list.
Speaking of gardens, no one has mentioned Powerscourt. I know it is mostly visited for its gardens. Will it be worth visiting in September? Husband will usually indulge my love of gardens and would not count as an "interior." Would it? Happy wife.... .
Yes, I have seen Tony's excellent maps, but they only expand what I would like to see rather than cut back. Sorry Tony. You are just the gift that keeps on giving.

I agree about Kylemore, you want it on your list and I don't resent having paid to get in. A beautiful walk, Chapel is nice and the gardens are great. Also if you like gardens we really enjoyed the Grey Abbey garden on the Ards Penninsula.

The gift becomes more personal when the tastes and locations become clearer..

There are other options to Powerscourt http://www.mountushergardens.ie/ or http://www.botanicgardens.ie/ ? (just near by) and gardens will still be worth seeing in September.. If you want to see Kylemore from the visitors centre gate (as our visitors do, lets face it its too expensive these days unless the sun is evaporating the lake) then you might also catch a bit of Arts week in Clifden http://www.clifdenartsweek.ie/

You are not going to see All of Ireland, (55 years and I haven't)so priorities need to be made and unfortunately many times that requires the head and not the heart doing the planning.

Gardens? I have seen a bit about the Celtic Plantarum near Dundrum but haven't gotten there yet. Anyone who has?

Kylemore Abbey and Cahir Castle are on my list. I was just in Ireland in April/early May and still miss it! We stayed in Adare which is a beautiful, wonderful town (just south of Limerick). There's a manor (Adare Manor) which is wonderful just to look around the exterior of ... we stayed in the self-catering villas on the grounds. It is right on the Maguire River. As I recall, Ross Castle and Dublin Castles are not so time-consuming or worth it in comparison to Cahir. I beleeve Cahir is the best/most preserved in all of Ireland. You can spend some time there if you are ready to go up and down many many narrow stairwells! Cahir is also a nice town to walk along the riverwalk there. Swans under weeping willow trees, etc ENJOY!

Thank you all for your opinions. They confirmed some of my research and gave me new ideas. Dublin Castle struck from the list. Some of mine list put on a Plan B list and some of yours added to Plan A. Reluctant to go Connemara though because I live on a beautiful lake in a Lake District in Canada. Kylemore Abbey better be worth it. Now sea views, I could eat them up all day!

I don't greatly care for Kylemore Abbey: it's a picturesque Victorian Gothic house. But Connemara is worth it: it's not about lakes; it's a unique landscape that includes lots of water; and much of that water is sea-water from the fiord of Killary to rocky coasline to golden beaches to small fishing harbours. You also have a choice of manor house hotels where you might overnight.

You will get great sea views around Connemara. consider getting in some of the coastline from Sligo down to the Shannon estuary or better still forget the south west and do a northern arc/loop? http://goo.gl/maps/gl8uv

I loved muckross house...reminds me of downton Abby (dont know if your a fan)
killarny park is gorgeous ... there is a beautiful hotel in the park close to muckross house.
Kilkenney is a lovely town and the castle was pleasant although not overly exciting.
Didn't think much of Dublin castle.
Enjoy your trip...Ireland is beautiful and the Irish are fantastic!!.
PS...great restaurants in Dublin!!
ERB