Irish Castles Tour
A Majestic Journey through Ireland’s Rich Heritage
We planned this itinerary for a group who really love castles! The aim was to incorporate castles and great houses, of all types, sizes and historical significance, in an itinerary that also visited a wide range of places in Ireland. We were also asked to arrange luxury castle accommodation as often as possible, and to leave enough time in the evenings and mornings to enjoy these fabulous places.
We’ve returned from our Irish castles tour and we cannot adequately describe how perfect everything was. Every castle was different and interesting in its own way and our hotels were really something out of the fairy tales.
Desmond Castle
@Stephen Power
Day 1
Shannon – Limerick – Adare
- VIP pickup at Shannon Airport in the mid-morning.
- Straight to our first castle King John’s Castle in Limerick, which has been fully restored. Built in 1210 it is one of the finest specimens of fortified Norman architecture in Ireland.
- Adare is a perfect example of an estate village and was developed by the Earls of Dunraven who lived at Adare Manor.
- Nearby Desmond Castle is a medieval fortified castle built in the 13th century by the Earl of Kildare, on the site of an older ring fort, but ceded to the rival Earl of Desmond in 1536. Its square tower is in a walled keep surrounded by a moat which is crossed by a drawbridge.
Overnight in Adare Manor
Day 2
Ring of Kerry Tour – Muckross – Tralee
- You’ll spend the morning enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the Ring of Kerry, as we pass some of Ireland’s highest mountains on one one side and most spectacular coastal scenery on the other.
- We finish the ring in Killarney for a guided tour of the elegant 19th century mansion, Muckross House. A stroll through the gardens brings you to the edge of one of Kilarney’s famous lakes, where you can optionally take a boat trip.
- Nearby 15th century Ross Castle is imposingly set by Lough Leane. It has cbeen fully rrestored and renovated but is privately owned and not open for tours.
- Visit Torc Waterfall, nestled in woodland by the road to our overnight accommodation. This beautiful winding waterfall is just 20 metres high but 110 metres long.
Overnight in Ballyseede Castle
Ross Castle
Day 3
Tralee – Kanturk – Cahir – Lismore – Waterford
- We may not have had many castles yesterday, but today we have plenty of them!
- Building began on Kanturk Castle around 1601 and, through various owners, went on for centuries without being completed. The result is typical Irish tower house features mixed with Tudor-style influences and Renaissance-inspired doorways and windows.
- Cahir Castle is one of the most interesting and impressively intact castles in Ireland and you might have seen it before – watch the video for more.
- On to fairytale Lismore Castle, perched on a hill overlooking the Blackwater River. The castle has been the private home of the Dukes of Devonshire since 1753, so unfortunately we cannot see inside but the wonderful gardens are open to the public.
- Lismore is a pretty village worth exploring. Lady Louisa’s Walk, named for the daughter of the 7th Duke, takes an easy and picturesque 2km route though woodlands and along the river.
Overnight in Waterford Castle
Day 4
Waterford – Kilkenny – Tomastown
- Kilkenny Castle, which dominates the beautiful medieval city of Kilkenny, dates back to 1172. It was bought by the Butler family in 1391 and remained their home until 1935.
- Time for a stroll around the city, which is extremely rich in well preserved medieval buildings. Particularly worth visiting are St Canice’s Cathedral, Rothe House and The Black Abbey.
- The Cistercian Abbey of Jerpoint, close to Thomastown, dates from 1158 and was one of the most important monastic settlements in Ireland.
Overnight in Mount Juliet
Kilkenny Castle
Birr Castle
Day 5
Birr – Clonmacnoise – Clonfert – Galway
- The Parsons family built Birr Castle in 1620 and live there still. A family of scientists, including William Parsons who built the ‘Leviathan of Parsonstown’ in 1845, at the time the largest telescope in the world. It’s now exhibited in the Science Centre. The magnificent grounds have formal gardens, woodland, wildflower meadows and waterfalls, with 8km of walking trails.
- Clonmacnoise, an ancient monastic city has stood overlooking a bend on the Shannon since the 6th century. For centuries it was great seat of learning, with students from all over Europe. There is a cathedral, two round towers, nine churches three high crosses, and over 700 early Christian graveslabs .
- Clonfert Cathedral, dating back to the 6th century was founded by St. Brendan, known as ‘the navigator’, who some believe was the first European to reach America. There is a wonderful arched Romanesque doorway, testament to the skill of stone workers of the time.
Overnight in Glenlo Abbey
Day 6
Galway – Connemara – Clifden –
- Leaving Galway we’ll pass the tragic ruins of once splendid Menlo Castle, ancestral home of the Blake family. No trace of the family’s daughter, Eleanor, was ever found following a fire in 1911, after which the family abandoned the castle and never returned.
- Connemara is an area of rugged landscape, bogs and mountains famed for its clear light and unspoilt beauty, characteristics that make it specially loved by artists and photographers.
- The small town of Clifden is nestled between the Twelve Ben Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. From there we’ll drive the Sky Road, well named and possibly the most scenic drive in Ireland.
- Kylemore Abbey was built by Mitchell Henry as a gift for his wife. You can visit some restored areas inside the Abbey, but the real attraction is the grounds. There is a Neo-Gothic Church, a Mausoleum and wonderful Victorian walled gardens.
- We’ll arrive early at your hotel today to allow to fully enjoy its amenities.
Overnight in Ashford Castle
Kylemore Abbey
Cliffs of Moher
Day 7
The Burren – The cliffs of Moher
- The Burren covers 100 sq miles of limestone pavements and rolling green hills, with curious rock formations, caves, a multitude of ancient structuress and plenty of interesting stops along our route. Famed for its abundance of rare native flowers and plants, many found nowhere else in Ireland.
- One of the top attractions in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher sit at the edge of the Burren overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. They stretch for 14km along the coast and reach over 200m at their highest point.
- The castle-like building at the top of the cliffs was built in 1835 by the local landlord as an observation point for the English tourists who frequented the area at the time.
Overnight in Dromoland Castle
Day 8
Bunratty – Shannon Airport
- Bunratty Castle, built by the powerful MacNamara family around 1425, was once at the centre of a great estate, reputed to have had a herd of 3,000 deer. It remains today pretty much as they built it.
- The adjoining Folk Park has reconstructions of typical rural dwellings and a full 19th century village, with houses, working shops, a schoolhouse, post office and a pretty decent pub.
- Your last day today and we recommend that you leave the afternoon free to relax and enjoy all that Dromoland has to offer.
- We will arrange an early breakfast with the hotel and a taxi to take you on the 20 minute journey to Shannon Airport in plenty of time for your morning flight.
Overnight in Dromoland Castle
Bunratty Village
It was castles all the way on this tour, but we can arrange any type of accommodation for your Irish Castles Tour.
Starting in Dublin this tour takes you on a magical journey to Ireland’s top attractions and most beautiful and historic places in 6 action-packed days.
8 Days | Start any date
Visit the most romantic and ancient castles in Ireland, famous and less well known. Experience life as lords & ladies each night, with stays in luxury castle hotels.
13 Days | Start any date
A carefully paced tour that will allow you to fully experience each place you visit on an epic journey along Ireland’s Atlantic Coast from Cork to Donegal.
Custom Tour of Ireland
Everything built for you
Create your dream tour of Ireland, with a unique itinerary created for you, great accommodation, luxury transportation and an expert Irish driver/guide.
Map of the Places we Visited
While not everyone can afford to stay in luxury 5 star castle hotels every night, we can easily organise a similar Irish castles tour with more affordable accommodation if you too are a castle enthusiast.
If you’d like to talk to us about doing this trip with our experienced driver/guides we’d be happy to help.
Visit King John’s Castle in the home town of Angela’s Ashes author Frank McCourt
Picturesque village, with a renowned golf course in Adare Manor.
A lovely town with many excellent restaurants and shops
Halfway point on the Ring in an area popular with artists and craftspeople.
Situated by the Lakes of Kilarney
Dramatic waterfall cascading through woodland.
Visit to Muckross House, and the starting point for our tour of the Ring of Kerry
Home of the annual Rose of Tralee Festival
Home of the Dukes of Devonshire
Home for the night
Imposing Norman castle overlooking the city
Fascinating look at early monastic life
One of the largest monastic settlements in Ireland, on the banks of the River Shannon
A busy city famed for its festivals, great theater and lively traditional music sessions.
A ruined castle with a tragic history
Capital of Connemara, a wild and beautiful place beloved of artists for its wonderful light.
Beautifully situated beside a lake.
Home for the night
A remarkable area, filled with historic interest and with a network of caves below the limestone surface
Dramatic high cliffs by the Atlantic Ocean
Home for the night
Castle and folkpark
Co. Clare, Ireland