Author: ArtsyChowRoamer

The Castles of Ireland

7 REASONS NOT TO MISS KILRONAN CASTLE ESTATE & SPA

After a whirlwind day and half touring Dublin and a little jet lagged, we were looking forward to two days of chilling out at the first castle on our itinerary. This post we’ll examine seven reasons why Kilronan Castle should be on your bucket list.

We headed over to the car rental place to get our wheels leaving Dublin. (Expensive, this renting a car in Ireland; especially automatic.) But I figured driving on the left from the right side of the car was enough for my travel frazzled brain to deal with. While expensive, it was a big NICE car.

We dumped our suitcases in the back with plenty of room left and took off. We decided my husband should be the GPS watcher and I should be the driver. I only wish I had a video of the two of us on our third trip around the car rental return access road after missing the exit for 50 South over and over again!

Let’s just say it was colorful and loud! Oh and best to get used to roundabouts as they seem to occur every block when not driving on their “interstate” system.

REASONS #1 & 2-BEAUTIFUL LOBBY AND DRINKS IN THE DRAWING ROOM

Once we got going in the right direction we were there in a pretty short time; around two hours or so from Dublin. The traffic was pretty easy and the sightseeing was beautiful, green and lush countryside. Upon pulling up to the front door we were immediately greeted by a friendly bellman who whisked us in with our luggage and told us where to park.

We were there early; early enough for our room not to be ready yet. The lovely lobby and drawing room where drinks were being served made it alright. We sat and enjoyed our surroundings; took a short spin around the beautiful gardens with our furry travel companion until they came to get us.

REASONS #3 & 4- LARGE COMFY ROOMS, BATHS & THE SPA

Our room was ready and they took us up with bags having already been placed inside. The rooms were big and luxurious and the windows opened to take in the lovely breezes and the fresh smell of grass recently mowed.

They left roses and chocolates for us knowing it was our anniversary during our stay. How thoughtful and pretty it looked! I was immediately enchanted and couldn’t wait to unpack and explore.

They were preparing for a pre-function activity for a wedding taking place the following day so the place was busy with preparations and workers running to and fro. Fresh flowers were arriving and workers were tying sashes on each chair and putting the alter together for the bride and groom.

We got our things stored away and decided we might be up for a stop into the spa to get a steam, a sauna and a swim; all of which were included in our room price.

There was no need to take towels or robes as everything necessary was in the changing rooms; lockers provided for your clothes as well. It was very nice and felt like we were underground somehow even though it was a new addition to the older castle.

REASON #5-GREAT MARTINIS IN THE DOWNSTAIRS BAR

We enjoyed our relaxing time at the spa and spent several hours doing soaks, steams and dry heat in our required Kilronan Castle swim caps (funny but not always attractive). It does however make for a nice souvenir which we still have to this day.

We went back up to the room to change and decided we would venture out for drinks and an early dinner in the Drawing Room instead of the fancy dining room which we were saving for our anniversary dinner the next night.

There is a great cellar bar downstairs with stone walls and a fabulous atmosphere that was filling up with guests coming in for the wedding. We hit it first for a martini before heading upstairs to the Drawing Room.

REASON #6-FANTASTIC FOOD IN AWARD WINNING DINING PROGRAM

Let me just say a word about the food at this destination. Executive Head Chef is putting out some fabulous food; some of the best we had during our entire trip. This should be one of your main reasons for visiting this property as the food is not your usual hotel experience (meaning over priced and under creative).

Not only was it quality from a fresh ingredients standpoint but it was over the top creative and the plates were absolutely beautiful. We eat with our eyes first and the folks bringing you this dining experience understand that!

With a AA Rosette Award, The Douglas Hyde Restaurant was named after Ireland’s first President and Roscommon’s first son, Douglas Hyde. It is lauded by food critics (like me) and loved by everyone. It is the more formal setting. The Drawing Room provides a more casual experience with the same quality and creativity. No matter which restaurant or meal you choose it will be consistent, fresh and mouthwatering.

In the Drawing Room, I had handmade pasta with wild locally grown mushrooms and fresh herbs that was stunningly good and my husband chose a fresh shrimp dish fried with the lightest of batters and locally grown potatoes.

The next evening we went for the more formal dining experience to celebrate our anniversary. A lovely wine was recommended and opened for us while we looked over the menu. I decided on fresh scallops in a lovely cream and pea foam with asparagus tips and my husband picked the duck tortellini.

Everything was glorious as expected and every course was well composed with perfect attention to detail. Dessert was a heavenly mixture of chocolates in different form and texture with foams added to look playful as well as tasty.

For breakfast you can pick the buffet or custom cooked from a preset menu. European buffets must cater to a variety of guest tastes and cultures so literally anything you desired was available. We had the buffet the first morning and ordered fresh salmon with cream and dill off the menu for the second day-delicious! All were included in the room price and made brisk walks a morning necessity afterwards.

If you are a late diner than afternoon tea is a must. It draws a healthy crowd and is well priced for the beautiful goodies that arrive at your table.

REASON #7-WALKING TRAILS, GARDENS & THE LAKE

My furry travel companion especially enjoyed his morning and afternoon walks as there were all kinds of small creatures for him to chase. There were several different trails to choose from and there were nice gardens with seating as well as a beautiful lake to enjoy. It was one our favorite spots to watch afternoon storms roll in over the water.

It was just turning to sweater weather when we visited and light morning rains were usual with sunshine all afternoon which was perfect really. We spent many hours soaking up the sun, the quiet and the lush greenness of a beautiful countryside location.

CONCLUSION

This pretty much gives you the seven reasons I think this destination needs to be on your itinerary when visiting Ireland. It is just the right mixture of chill, beauty, comfy rooms, fabulous spa, cool drink spots and fantastic food all in a pristine garden setting.

Don’t you want to make a break for it today? You might enjoy reading more blogs about Ireland as well as other places under Explore the World. Hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me hear from you if you’re heading to Ireland and have any questions OK? Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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TO MY READERS: This post was updated with new info, pics and videos on 8/19/20. Kilronan was the most traditional castle we stayed in on our Irish adventure. They have totally renovated their spa since we visited and we can’t wait to return and visit again. This destination should be on your radar when we are allowed to travel again. Until then you will just have to watch the videos and dream…