Ireland
 

Just a quick question we would like to stay in a true Castle that doesn't break the bank.
We are flying into Shannon and finish in Dublin 7 nights. 2 nights in Killarney, 2 nights in Dublin
so we have 1 night in a Castle then maybe 2 nights in Galway. Any help would be great. Thanks

We don't know the size of your bank ;) What is your actual budget for a castle stay? Also - when is the trip?

The trip is in September as far as the budget for the castle just need to be reasonable, we can afford about anything.

Without a number its really hard to help. "Reasonable" could mean anything. But if you truly can afford anything then Ashford Castle is one of the best. Waterford Castle sits on an island so is special but is also a golf resort so may not be what your are looking for. Ballynahinch Castle is very nice

Most of the posh castle hotels will have a 2 night minimum much of the year.

Ashford Castle and Adare Manor are considered to be amongst the top hotels in the world, but come with prices to match. We didn't stay in either of them.

If you are heading to Connemara then I'd highly recommend Ballynahinch. It's a true castle experience, extraordinary scenery, luxurious, and more affordable than either Ashford or Adare. We also loved Belleek Castle in County Mayo. It was rustic, but if you want four poster beds, creaking staircases, and lots of swords and dead animals in cases then I'd recommend it. The food was average at best though.

You could also take a look at Ireland's Blue Book website. It's a collection of smaller Irish manor houses, castles and estates. It's widely used by Irish people, and we used it as a reference for finding lodgings that were different than the generic 4* Irish hotel that are pretty ubiquitous.