Is Dromoland Castle worth it on our last night?
 

We will be driving in to Bunratty from Connemara on our last day and plan to be there in time for the dinner and tour at Bunratty Castle. Would it be worth it to stay at Dromoland that night? We will be flying out of Shannon at 12:30pm the next day. Please let me know what you think...thanks!!

I thought it was gorgeous when I stayed there.

Dromoland is definitely worth the price if you have time to enjoy it. Because you will basically only have time to sleep there, I don't know if it will be worth it for you. The grounds are beautiful as is the castle and we enjoyed just strolling around.

To enjoy Dromoland at its best you should spend the best part of 24 hours there at least.Go for a walk in the grounds or play golf or have a swim and then have dinner in the main restaurant and a few drinks in the bar.It is an expensive place to stay so make the most of it.See www.dromoland.ie

YES YES YES YES - see my other responses

Yes, definitely. But please note that after you stay there you will always dream of returning! Also the dining room is excellent.

If you do decide to stay there, please post back if the 85+ year old chap is still the bellman! My idol! Strong as a bull he is....

If your flight leaves Shannon at 12:30 you would have to leave Dromoland right after breakfast (09:30 or so).

You say you will have dinner and tour Bunratty Castle the previous evening. You're not leaving yourselves enough time to enjoy Dromoland, so it would be a waste.

I agree with nankar and Ardfelt: it's only worth it if you allow sufficient time to enjoy the place. You might consider a stop there for lunch and a tour of the grounds the day before your departure when you drive down from Connemara ...

So then my next question would be - Bunratty or Dromoland? We could just drive down and stop at Bunratty for the tour and then head on to Dromoland for the rest of the day and have dinner there. Would we be missing out on the dinner show and Durty Nellies? Thanks so much for all of your advice!

Personally I would just do the tour of Bunratty and skip Durty Nellies:) Once you get to Dromoland you'll see why!

Now your question is getting very tough!We went to the Bunratty Castle dinner last May and it was truly enjoyable. The singing was excellent moreso than the meal. If you enjoy medieval events, you shouldn't miss it. Dirty Nelly's is just a pub. Not much to miss in my opinion. Dromoland is a great place to stay but there is no entertainment there so which to choose depends upon what you enjoy the most. You may have to save one for your next trip back and I am sure there will be one!