Even though I live in Ireland it's still one of my favorites places to explore and "travel" around; proximity means we can often explore on weekends and sometimes only spend a night or two away from home to see a completely new region. When we are going away for the weekend we love to find the quirkiest places to stay and if you're looking to stay in a castle tower or old lighthouse in Ireland, then you're in luck for there are loads of traditional properties available all over the country that have been renovated and made available. There's two main sites we look at when going away, and I do want to add that this post isn't sponsored in any way by either company! I get a lot of questions about visiting Ireland and often at the top of everyone's list is where to stay and honestly it doesn't get much better than these two companies which feature a variety of properties--and yes CASTLES!--throughout Ireland.
The Irish Landmark Trust: This is my top suggestion for anyone looking for something outside of the ordinary when coming to Ireland--and they have a wide variety of properties for almost every group. There are lone towers (like Helen's Tower, which we've stayed at twice) and miniature castles that sleep two and larger castles that sleep ten people. The Irish Landmark Trust isn't reserved to castles either, they also manage lighthouses, gatehouses, cottages, even a former mews. We often find ourselves looking through their listings and trying to build weekends around the houses available for rent! Another thing I love about the Irish Landmark Trust is that they are a non-profit organization that looks for unique properties in need of conservation to give new life to. When you stay at one of their properties the money you spend is going back into their projects to help save other interesting and historic properties all over the country. One downside to these castles/cottages/lighthouses is that they are all self-catering, which means there's no hotel staff to clean your towels, no breakfast in the morning, etc. You basically rent the whole property and have it exclusively to yourself/your party, which has the benefit of making you truly feel like queen of the castle for a weekend, but also means you miss out on certain amenities if you are traveling from a distance. Still I would recommend looking through their listings when planning a trip to Ireland, because what could be better than staying at a castle in Ireland? Or at a lighthouse beside the coast? They also tend to be very affordable, so staying at a castle in Ireland through the Landmark Trust can be cheaper than staying at a traditional hotel, especially if you are traveling with a large group.
Ireland's Blue Book: If you are looking to stay at gorgeous and unique property, but don't like the idea of a self-catering property, then Ireland's Blue Book is the place you want to check out. They also have several castles you can stay at (as well as a lighthouse or country manor house), but these are fully kitted out hotels often with gourmet restaurants attached. Their properties are also spread out all over the island so you can find a castle (or other equally lovely property) to stay at no matter where in Ireland you are planning on visiting. Another thing that sets it apart from self-catering properties is that many of the hotels also offer additional activities--from cookery classes to golf or a spa for a day of pampering. If the Landmark Trust lets you have the castle completely to yourself so you can feel like queen of the castle, then Ireland's Blue Book would be the place where you get treated like a queen. It's a great company to explore if you like the idea of staying in a castle or other quirky property and don't want to sacrifice the usual hotel comforts. Perhaps less ideal for large groups, but still a great option if you're coming from far away and want to experience something outside of the ordinary.
The Irish Landmark Trust: This is my top suggestion for anyone looking for something outside of the ordinary when coming to Ireland--and they have a wide variety of properties for almost every group. There are lone towers (like Helen's Tower, which we've stayed at twice) and miniature castles that sleep two and larger castles that sleep ten people. The Irish Landmark Trust isn't reserved to castles either, they also manage lighthouses, gatehouses, cottages, even a former mews. We often find ourselves looking through their listings and trying to build weekends around the houses available for rent! Another thing I love about the Irish Landmark Trust is that they are a non-profit organization that looks for unique properties in need of conservation to give new life to. When you stay at one of their properties the money you spend is going back into their projects to help save other interesting and historic properties all over the country. One downside to these castles/cottages/lighthouses is that they are all self-catering, which means there's no hotel staff to clean your towels, no breakfast in the morning, etc. You basically rent the whole property and have it exclusively to yourself/your party, which has the benefit of making you truly feel like queen of the castle for a weekend, but also means you miss out on certain amenities if you are traveling from a distance. Still I would recommend looking through their listings when planning a trip to Ireland, because what could be better than staying at a castle in Ireland? Or at a lighthouse beside the coast? They also tend to be very affordable, so staying at a castle in Ireland through the Landmark Trust can be cheaper than staying at a traditional hotel, especially if you are traveling with a large group.
Ireland's Blue Book: If you are looking to stay at gorgeous and unique property, but don't like the idea of a self-catering property, then Ireland's Blue Book is the place you want to check out. They also have several castles you can stay at (as well as a lighthouse or country manor house), but these are fully kitted out hotels often with gourmet restaurants attached. Their properties are also spread out all over the island so you can find a castle (or other equally lovely property) to stay at no matter where in Ireland you are planning on visiting. Another thing that sets it apart from self-catering properties is that many of the hotels also offer additional activities--from cookery classes to golf or a spa for a day of pampering. If the Landmark Trust lets you have the castle completely to yourself so you can feel like queen of the castle, then Ireland's Blue Book would be the place where you get treated like a queen. It's a great company to explore if you like the idea of staying in a castle or other quirky property and don't want to sacrifice the usual hotel comforts. Perhaps less ideal for large groups, but still a great option if you're coming from far away and want to experience something outside of the ordinary.
CONVERSATION