JWH

Can anyone recommend an Irish castle that won't break the bank? We are looking for lodging in June for around 200 euro. Thanks!

cd

Go to www.Dromoland.ie and see if they are giving any specials. We stayed for 240 euro but it was March and some kind of special. It is a wonderful Castle!

weddinginitaly

We also stayed at Dromoland in June of 2003 and paid 350 euros.. definitely worth the splurge.

wojazz3

Cariigeen Castle is a a B&B in Cahir which is actually and old jail. It's an interesting place. Some people have a problem with the owner because she runs a tight ship. I thought she was fine and the building is pretty cool. It's quite inexpensive by castle standards. This is the site I had bookmarked for them:
http://goireland.about.com/gi/dynami...2Fbutlerca.htm

Bill

MaryZ

You might find a few at this site that won't be as expensive as Dromoland and Ashford.

http://www.hotelirelandhotel.com/castle_hotels.htm

Budman

Bill,
I e-mailed Carrigeen Castle in Cahir to ask about price and availability, and I didn't get that warm, fuzzy, homey feeling and response that I got from some of the other B&B's that I inquired in other regions who responded. They were a little snotty with me when I asked for the price. Their response said to refer to the 2004 price list on their website. Seems that their website only has the 2003 price.

When you did the Gap of Dunloe, how long did it take to do full circle, including boat trip back to the start? How much did it cost? I'm trying to figure out the logistics of getting there, staying near the area the night before (we've done Muckross), when the tours begin/end, etc. Thanks.

Holldoll

Haven't stayed there yet (next month) but I've booked into Castle Leslie, which is 175 euros a night per person, which includes a full gourmet dinner. Check it out at castleleslie.com. You can look at every room on the web and select your room. Angela, here on Fodors, got married there last year and said it was very nice. Maybe she'll pick up on this thread and talk about it. Anyway, it was cheaper than lots of those big huge ones, and looks quite nice.

wojazz3

Budman:

Peig Butler won't give you that warm fuzzy feeling. That is just kind of her nature. As others have pointed out, she's British (not that there's anything wrong with that) and she is very careful about her home. She was actually very nice to us an apologized that she didn't make it clear to us that we could have checked in early since it was our first day and we were just off the plane. She is very fastidious about her check in times otherwise.

The Gap of Dunloe is a great trip and a bit of an adventure depending on weather. It will pretty much fill up your day from 9:00 - 4:00 or 5:00.The boat trip drops you off at Ross Castle which is certainly worth a visit. The cost is a little sketchy because the price that we got does not include your transportation through the gap which can be done on foot, bicycle (though I haven't figured out how you get the bike back) or jaunting car. You can negotiate the price for the jaunting car ride and I haven't a clue what that is since somehow I convinced my sister to pay. You see, I threatened them with walking.

It is E21 pp from Deros tours which gets you a bus ride from a few spots in Killarney to Kate Kearney's Cottage and then the boat trip back and then a return bus ride to your car. It does not include the ride in the jaunting car. For an additional E17.50 pp you can get tickets for the jaunting car, but you may be able to bargain for a better rate, especially if you have more than two people. On the steeper climbs, you may have to get out and walk as the horse has a hard time making the climb. This is a good thing as I enjoyed the walk more than the ride.

There are cheaper ways to do this if you want to work around the tour company. Off season, you can actually drive the road, though it is a little rough. I beleive there are a few places to stay that are accessed from the road, so a car will pass from time to time even during high season.

I found the tour was worth to not have to figure out a way for four of us to be cheap. Every once in a while I get lazy and splurge. As someone pointed out, you can do the trip in reverse also.

Hope this helps. It's a great trip and the scenery is beautiful.

Bill

isabel

I also stayed at Carrigeen Castle (last summer). And no, the owners, especially the Pieg Butler, are kind of gruff (David, her grown son was actually pretty nice) and business like. But I didn't stay there to get chummy with the owners. Guess it depends on your reasons for picking a place. The building itself was quite interesting. My husband, who never gets excited about anything, after exploring the place came back to our room and said "wow, this place is really cool" - or something like that. And it's walking distance from Cahir Castle, which is definitly the coolest castle in Ireland that we went to (and we went to quite a few). And it was only 55€ a night for a double with a very substantial breakfast. So I recommend it on that basis. I thought it was almost kind of funny how militaristic the owners were.

We stayed in some B&Bs that were more "comfortable", some where the owners were much more friendly (but the house was borning). So each experience is different. This was a very good buy for the money. If you want luxury in your castle stay, this is not the one for you though.

mexicobeachbum

Consider staying at Cregg Castle, about 10 miles outside of Galway. The people are nice, the website is great, http://creggcastle.com/index.htm
and the location is very rural and relaxing. Not fancy, but a favorite of our family.

JWH

Thanks to everyone for the help. I am reseaching now. This site is fantastic!

wojazz3

I'm sorry, how could I have forgotten Cregg Castle? I stayed there in November. As I remember, it was about double what a B&B would charge. The owners are musicians and most nights they play a concert around the fire. We were allowed to sit in with them and had a great time. You can find them at:
www.creggcastle.com

Bill

MWM1

There is a great castle in the Wexford area called Killiane Castle with rooms going for as little as 70 EUR per night
http://www.killianecastle.com

Angela

I can definitely recommend Castle Leslie in Co. Monaghan. As Holldoll says, the website is really good - castleleslie.com. It is a family owned Castle and you often see the owner Sir Jack (in his 90's and a little eccentric!) wandering around the place. He loves to chat with the visitors. The food is wonderful - gourmet food. Served in the dining room, which is lit by candles and open fires. The grounds are huge, complete with a lovely lake which you can see from the castle. Very relaxing, very friendly, and definitely worth a visit!

Feel free to ask any questions!

Angela

waffle18

MWM1,

I couldn't get the web site for Killiane Castle to work but did manage to find it on Jeeves. Here's an alternate address that does seem to work:

http://gofree.indigo.ie/~castlej/index.htm

Did you stay here? What was it like?

Wendy

ladyjane44

We are staying in 2 castles on our trip coming up in May. One is Cregg Castle which seems to get very good ratings! The other is Charleville Forest Castle in Tullamore. If you're in to "haunted irish catles" then this is the one to stay in! Very reasonable, only 60 pounds for 2 of people for one night including Breakfast. Not a luxurious castle but so very interesting and intriguing! I can hardly wait!

cd

ttt for Angie

MWM1

Wendy-
I have not stayed there-YET. Will be visiting in April! Very good friends of ours recommended Killiane Castle to us. Said the hosts; Jack & Kathleen were delightful, the rooms very clean and comfortable, and the food very good. Plus, the price is right and the location is great if you are heading to or from Dublin.

MileKing

Any thoughts on Ballynahinch Castle?