Ever stayed the night in a legit castle from the 1200s? We hadn't either until we came here! It's the crossover the history and comfort, and was just plain awesome! Located in Kinnity county, this castle sits atop a hill just below the Sleeve Bloom mountains. You drive through woods, turn a soft corner and BOOM, there's the castle. It's magnificent! Old Gothic style, dungeon and all. The castle is equally beautiful inside. There are dozens of rooms inside, all at different levels of the castle. We stayed in a big room up top. The view is the grounds out front was beautiful - a huge field, surrounded by woods and containing a ton of deer that just seem to hang out. The bed was huge - two queens side by side, so we slept 4 across (and one on the floor) and had plenty of room for everyone. There are four spots to eat on site. A nice restaurant, and three bars including one in the library, one in the dungeon and one outside. The grounds were magnificent. There are miles of trails out back, tons of small structures to explore outside, a lovely courtyard that housed an abbey and even a sport court for those so inclined. We also had afternoon tea in the front room. A wonderful experience with nice tea and lovely little sandwiches/cakes. They don't give it away, but it was less expensive than a nice spot in Dublin. All in all, this was a homerun! It's something we'll do again in the future and you should do if you're in the area! read more

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We were unfortunately only able to stay one night in the castle but it was one of the best experiences I've ever had in terms of lodging. We stayed in the Butler room. It was huge! Our view overlooked the deer and the horses. The room was clean and of the utmost quality. The service at the hotel was exceptional. We had great conversations with the staff. The breakfast was good. The dungeon bar was delightful. Touring the grounds was a pleasure. My son and his wife enjoyed the horseback riding. This is a must-stay for any vacation in Ireland. Amazing!!!!! read more

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We stayed here for 2 nights and it was wonderful. If you are looking for a castle experience this will not disappoint. The staff is very friendly and the manager Des is wonderful. We saw him often during our stay and he was always checking that everything was good. The food here is delicious and always served very hot. We ate in the Dungeon bar for dinner and drinks and for breakfast in Sli Dala, all meals were very good. The grounds are beautiful with walking paths along the river. I would return to Kinnitty Castle and would recommend it as a unique lodging experience. read more

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Staff here were very friendly and accommodating. I emailed them before booking to make sure I could get a specific room, it was no problem. Plenty of free parking. It's a little expensive to stay here, but not as much as some other castles in Ireland. Also, when else will I have the opportunity to stay in a castle?! Do it! We stayed over a Saturday night and had the pleasure of hanging out in the cozy dungeon bar with live singers/musicians entertaining us. They were really great! Beautiful drive up to the castle from the road with a few super cute surprises along the way! The grounds are beautiful which we explored by foot after checking out. read more

Haunted castle for the night? Yes please! A sprinkle of snow on rolling green hills, a magnificant castle, and a fabulous room. We had a grand time at this liovely establishment. Top notch everything;. Wonderful spiri the house made whiskey :) read more

Kinnitty Castle - Hotels Near Me - Birr, OY

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I researched for months before booking, I was looking for a true castle that didn't just look like a nice hotel on the inside. I finally decided this was the one and planned my entire trip around being here on my 20 year anniversary. This was the most important thing of my whole vacation and what I was most excited for. When we arrived the castle was absolutely beautiful.. that's where it ended. We were greeted by 2 not so friendly woman (one seeming to be trained the other a manager) I asked about which room I would be getting and explained that I had been emailing months before and asked about 2 specific rooms. I was told at that time that they could not guarantee rooms but the ones I wanted were in the most expensive a 4 price levels. So, I booked and paid for that level of room. I was told at check in that yes I was able to get the room I wanted and paid for. I was beyond excited! When I was taken to my room to my surprise it was nothing like the room I had requested, I had even sent pictures in my previous email of what I wanted. I expressed this to the girl that seemed to be in training and we went back to check in where I was told that the room I wanted would be a down grade from the room I wanted, I was fine with this because I had only booked what I was told to. To shorten this story up over the next hour I was told with a look of disgust that it was a down grade, they looked up my email as if I was lying that was 6 months previous, told me that the room I wanted didn't exist (even though it was posted on tripadvisor by management),told me the person who sent it did not work there any longer, after all of this I was finally told that they could change my room. I was taken to this room with 0 help with my bags (all the way to the attic) where I was told this was the same room I asked for but that they had taken the large wrought iron light over the bath tub down (another lie it was not the same room) I then asked since I was mislead to book the most expensive room could I get the difference back. I was then told that the room was more expensive and they had to base it on that days prices.... another lie! I looked up the room I was in immediately and it was 80.00 cheaper at that exact moment. Needless to say everything that I hoped for had been wrecked by the worst customer service I experienced in my entire 11 day trip. My room was beautiful but all the treatment, lies and rudeness had canceled out all my excitement. Do not go here with any expectations. Fyi my friends rooms that paid for the cheapest rooms were nicer and more authentic then what they tried to give me. read more

We stayed 3 nights We were very interested in the castle and the history . The Castle and grounds were fun and relaxing, walking around. The Castle and our room could have been alot cleaner( Dusty Chandeliers, cob webs on ceilings and dirty windows) also killed a ton of flys that were living in the windows, but there aren't any screens on a 13th century castle so that may be the norm. We still loved the Castle and the staff was friendly and proffesional. The Butlers Suite was a nice large room with a large and very comfortable bed with a large separate full bath, complete with clawfoot tub and a separate shower. Very cool place rich in history! read more

It's cool to say I've stayed the night in a castle and the grounds are well kept. We got the 3 course meal in the dining room and it was mediocre at best, then we went to the bar for drinks and the young man behind the bar had to look up how to make one of their signature drink (it was awful), the shower only provided scalding hot water, and I'm pretty sure there was a rat running around the room throughout the night. Most of the wait staff is very young and seem to be just learning...however the manager was working very hard to make sure guests were having a descent stay. Still, we won't be back. read more

Spending one night at this castle seldom does it justice. I adore this place and the environment it brings to the table. The breakfast included was delicious. Knocked a star off for the service in the dungeon. The kids seemed confused and had a bit of difficulty with service. read more

Loved the castle and the very cool ambiance. We did the trap shooting and had the best instructor. Such a cool experience to trap shoot on castle grounds! Highly recommend it. Rooms were great size and much bigger than I expected! The only bad thing was the service at both the Dungeon Restaurant and also at the Library Bar. Slow slow service. Food was great and drinks were fine, but be prepared to wait a LONG time. We ventured to the small town's pub for pizza too, which was fine but not much else in the actual town of Kinnitty. Very cool Castle experience though! read more

Kinnitty Castle - Hotels Near Me - Birr, OY

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Since my young days as a wee lad playing with Legos, I've always wanted to stay in a castle, or buy one, and Kinnitty mostly fulfilled the first goal... PROS: -€200 for the Dine and Dream package: 3 course dinner and 1 night stay for 2. The BEST value I found while shopping for a castle. -The Slí Dala Restaurant's 3 course meal, €37.50pp normally, was great! Smoked fish cake appetizer, 10oz tender steak, and apple strudel was all delicious! -Large room and bathroom. -Excellent staff. No really, they were all great. Receptionist gave us the fastest directions back to the airport(90min drive). Barman was the best in Ireland. Waitress was the best in Ireland as well. -Premises and public rooms were all awesome and fit the castle theme. -Pints were about €4, Wine €5.50, and some whiskeys under €5...very reasonable and cheap compared to ordering a drink at an American hotel. -Continental breakfast spread was fabulous with some nice cheeses and pastries. Sadly, we didn't have time to try the hot breakfast entrees as we had to leave early to catch our 12:30pm flight out of Dublin. (TIP1: We left 8:30am, got to the Avis rental car return at 10:00am, and after shuttle ride-checkin-security-VAT refund desk- US Customs... we only had about 20min to spare before boarding! Thank god for no traffic! TIP2: there are NO gas stations along the M50 return) CONS: -Dungeon Bar was closed that Friday night, so no final Irish musical night for us. -Our room seemed wonderful at first, but upon closer inspection certain sections were very dusty and some cobwebs. I suppose this added to the atmosphere, but it was a bit too much. -Bed mattress was mushy and needed to be replaced. -Walls are thin...some middle-aged ladies next door were laughing loudly until about 1:00am. I almost complained. Almost. CONCLUSION: Its an old, old, old 13th century castle...keep that in mind. We loved the vintage furniture and decor. All in all a good stay, but I just wished our room was tidier. It would be perfect if every 2-3 months housecleaning did an intensive dusting of all the hidden nooks, crannys, drapes, chandeliers, heating unit, etc. Kinnitty has so much potential...I'd love to come again after a deep cleanse and rennovations. FUN FACT: - This castle was once owned by the Ryan clan...my wife's great grandmother was a Ryan. We even found her family crest/cygil in one of the sitting rooms. If we win the Lotto someday(a big one), we'll return to purchase this castle to reclaim it, and give it the love it deserves. read more

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The castle exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be really modernised inside but it was totally authentic and castle like inside. I loved it. It was old and dated and a bit of a maze inside, everything you would expect from a castle of that age. The reception and resteraunt staff were very helpful and chatty. Everyone was lovely. The dungeon bar was brilliant, there was a small group sitting playing and singing. Authentic Irish music, real good fun. The barman was fab too. The castle is situated right at Kinnitty forest and there are walking trails as soon as you go outside, it was lovely. They offer a range of activities such as horseriding and clay pigeon shooting, you just book these in advance. read more

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Nothing like being the Duchess of a real life castle... While visit and touring Ireland on a pseudo-whirlwind schlep around the island, we stayed in several castles - not the dank drippy dated ones of old - but the fixed up ones that maintained most of the original appeal. This particular castle was definitely my favorite! Can't beat old worth ambiance...and don't forget the requisite ghosts haunting the halls... Especially when (I'm sure without permission) we're allowed to go into the supposedly haunted room (the Geraldine room) that someone else just vacated because the housekeeper snuck us in... And then tells us about being "accompanied" by such a visitor on her second day working in the castle... Honestly, the castle is wonderful. It's fixed up and modern, but the rooms are quaint and have touches that are hilarious and homey all at once - see uploaded photo of the "throne" in the bathroom. Emphasis on the throne... Can't speak too much to the rest of the grounds and/or amenities, but if you happen in, do not miss walking across the courtyard to the other buildings. The Great Hall should NOT be missed. Candles, wrought iron, and tapestries likely older than I'd like to think about... And more ghosts, of course... Highly highly recommend a trip to Ireland...And while you're either spending time or passing through the midlands, definitely spend a night or two here. It's convenient to some of the larger well-known attractions - the Cliffs of Moher, Galway - and is certainly something you can't get stateside. The winding stairways leading in multiple directions are fun, so take some time and wander... ***Quick Note about the wi-fi... It's free, but not widely available. You'll have to hang out around the common areas to grab a decent signal*** read more

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I would give this hotel a higher review but they had a wedding going on which closed off a lot of the castle. We were not told in advance or given a discount. Plus our food service was subpar. The waitress got a lot of things wrong and the service was slow. read more

Kinnitty Castle - Outside the front of the castle. - Hotels Near Me - Birr, OY

If you want a rustic, magical authentic castle stay that actually feels like a castle and not a luxury hotel, this is it!!! My husband and I went to Ireland for our honeymoon, and I wanted to stay at a castle, but to my dismay many of them just looked too modern and not very authentic. I stumbled upon Kinnitty Castle's website, and am so happy that we booked our stay here! The castle, originally built in around the 12th century but restored more recently, is rustic and worn, dark and mysterious. It's also supposedly haunted! We stayed in the Cormac room, which I would highly recommend. There is a Library Bar and a Dungeon Bar, in addition to the dining room. While the castle was everything I dreamed of, I will point out a few little things that some might find a little TOO old-fashioned: - Our water didn't get hotter than lukewarm. - There is no elevator (I think there are three floors. I was glad I just had a carry-on.) - While the Dungeon Bar was very cool, there was no bartender. It was totally vacated. (But on the flip side, we were able to wander around and do a mini photo shoot.) We had to ask at the desk if there was a place to get a drink, and they immediately had a bartender take us to the Library Bar and serve us there. - It wasn't dirty... but it wasn't incredibly clean. PS - Just a heads up! In case you are considering going to nearby Glinsk castle remains, it's literally a couple of small remains of a wall, no more than maybe a few feet high and not very long, so don't expect something too majestic. The hike getting there was gorgeous and I'm so glad we did it, but we did get totally lost along the way - the maps are not very good, and the actual remains are off an unmarked trail. read more

Kinnitty Castle is a really nice building in a nice setting... Until you step through the door! This place is badly in need of some TLC and some better cleaners. We stayed in an Abbey Court room and it smelled terribly. It was very musty and there were cobwebs everywhere. The bed was very uncomfortable. You'd expect a castle to have fairly thick walls but the noise from other rooms would leave you thinking that there are no walls at all. We could hear conversations of people in rooms both beside and above us quite clearly. We stayed from a Friday evening to a Sunday and we ate there each of the days. A mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner over the three days. The food wasn't bad. Not good, but not bad. The majority of the staff were very nice and went out of their way to be pleasant and helpful. read more

Excellent stay. Only complaint was lack of WiFi in the rooms (which was nice to be off the grid, however, as an American going abroad, WiFi is kind of essential). The room was tremendous. Incredibly spacious and comfortable. We stayed only one night and it was the last night of our trip so it was mostly a relaxing day/night. We spent our time in at the dungeon bar and ate and drank there. Very quiet , we were also there on a Monday so that could have been why. Food (dinner and breakfast) was amazing. Definitely recommend for couples of any age. Would go back in a heart beat! read more

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I stayed here for my cousin's wedding! It was warm, comfortable & charming. Our rooms was quite small for the price but it was nice. The staff were extremely helpful & the food was amazing! They put on a fabulous show for the wedding, with a piper, harpist, flutist etc it was all very old world and I enjoyed every minute. Would highly recommend as a wedding venue! read more

Hotel was wonderful!! Service amazing! Room was fantastic...will come back again soon! read more

Kinnitty Castle - The Secret room - Hotels Near Me - Birr, OY

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My daughter and granddaughter came to visit Ireland from America for the first time ever and we stayed at Kinnitty Castle. The staff was amazing!!! They made my granddaughter feel like a princess (she had brought a princess dress for the occasion) and even found her a tiara to wear during dinner. The man who waited on us referred to her as "my lady" and she could not have been more pleased. The room was comfortable and the view was amazing. The grounds are wonderful for walking and exploring, and although it was cold, we enjoyed our time walking about. Then, when we went inside, the woman who was working in the bar area made sure to bring a small bowl of extra marshmallows for my granddaughters hot cocoa, and she was beside herself! What a wonderful experience we all had. I meant to remember everyone's name, so I'm sorry that I can't name each person individually, but every single person we encountered during our stay there was something special. I would highly, highly recommend that, if you have a wish to stay in a REAL castle, Kinnitty is the place to be!!! Reasonable prices and an amazing experience - you can't go wrong with that! Oh, and dinner was delicious, too! read more

Surpassed all expectations. Keep in mind, you are staying in an old castle. Interior rooms have almost no sound proofing, no elevator and I felt bad for the guy lugging my suitcases up 3 long staircases... that said, rooms were clean, staff very friendly and food was superb! Afternoon tea was amazing, breakfast each morning was excellent, incredible pastry chef! I expected a very average dinner since it was included in room... what I got was choices between premium steak, porkbelly and scallops, duck cooked perfectly and more... chocolate brownie on "chocolate tasting option" was to die for. Highly recommend this place! Incredible value and 5 star service from the staff. read more

I recently took my daughter and mother here for afternoon tea, I was very disappointed with it on top of being overcharged, it was smelly and cold, no fire lighting, no music and no atmosphere, the food was scare and the scones were stale and then to be charged €23.00 per person was even more disappointing. read more

I STAYED IN A CASTLE!!!! What else can I really say!? Ok, Ok... I guess I will elaborate. The castle in its present condition was built in the 1920s (at the same location as previous castles had been built and destroyed a few times since the 11th century). The current family bought the castle and land from the state and turned it into a 37-room luxury hotel. Our room was incredibly spacious with a large over-sized bed, sitting area, bathroom with a claw-foot tub, and an incredible view of the front "yard" and horses. The service was very pleasant and helpful. They were very accommodating on our requests. The food was excellent and the dinning halls were beautiful. One dinning area was in the library where the book shelves reached up to the 20-ft ceiling. The dungeon bar was cold, spooky, and warming all at the same time. At night, they had live authentic Irish music. This castle is one of the cheapest in Ireland that we looked at (far more than Waterford, Ballycastle, and Dromoland). Relatively speaking, this castle was very affordable. (about $200 / night) Would highly recommend this stay to anyone visiting Ireland. read more

Amazing legit castle and very well kept forest trails for horses, mountain bikes, and walkers.

This place is great. Castle rooms. Library pub and a dungeon pub open on the weekends. It's suppose to be haunted, we will find out when we sleep tonight! read more

We have just had a two day stay here with extended family and large group of children. It is not like staying in a regular hotel more like someone's home. Children had a ball. Staff were fantastic and food amazing and all for a an amazing price. I could not rate it highly enough for the experience read more

One of the most outrageous hotel stays I've ever had. The castle and the grounds are beautiful, the staff was friendly, and the food was pretty good. And then came hurricane Ophelia. Despite the hotel being an actual stone castle (and probably the safest place in a hundred miles), hotel staff KICKED US OUT because the hotel "might" lose power later. For the sake of our own safety and comfort, we were told, we couldn't hunker down in this sturdy castle with plenty of fireplaces and candles and its own pub, and instead had to pack our things and get into our little rental car and drive through a hurricane to a hotel that was, according to staff, 15 minutes away. In reality, the roads to the hotel were blocked by fallen trees and power lines, forcing us to reroute three different times. We spent an hour driving through gale force winds and dodging debris to get to the new hotel. At the time of this writing, Ophelia's winds have already killed one person, crushing a woman in her car with a fallen tree. When it came to an actual life threatening situation, Kinnitty Castle literally showed us the door. read more