The Belleek Castle looks a bit like fairy tales. After crossing a huge fortified gate, you travel…read moreseveral hundred meters in a large wooded park to finally appearing at the corner of a bend, placed on a hill, a castle with gray hues contrasting incredibly with a grass of a green not found. Crossing the front door, you are immersed in a world that oscillates between the medieval armor, the remains of eighteenth century ships used to make the bar, chandeliers and buffets that would not demerit in the most beautiful museums. The restaurant is in the same style though a bit more rustic. It is true that the castle is regularly busy for weddings or seminars. So you need solid! Paul Doran is a well-informed amateur, almost enlightened by his obsession of beautiful bottles. He has a superb cellar that would make many sommeliers green with envy. The list is longer than the Nile, with multiple international variations. In addition, our owner does not force the sale since he guided me to a bottle, a Pinot noir Rochioli 2013, much cheaper than the one I had originally chosen, a 2012 Sonoma Pinot Noir Kosta Brown Coast. And as we sympathized, he offered me in the middle of the meal to open my first choice to taste it! We ended up sampling a Château d'Yquem 1997. Do I really have to comment? !! But back to the plate, that was our first reason to come here. When I informed our landlady that we were going to dinner at Belleek Castle, her billiard-eyed eyes made me understand its reputation for excellent food was well established. The breads are really excellent. Particularly this "soda bread" which is made not with yeast but with baking soda and milk "ribot". It is accompanied by brioche bread for those who want lighter to start. As an appetizer, a few slices of smoked beef with mushroom mayonnaise and cucumber. It's pretty thin. It is unfortunate that the slice of cucumber is too thick and without any seasoning. The other elements are worked and it is a little rough in the middle of others. As a starter, chef David O'Donnell uses local "fuel", turf, to smoke a piece of lamb. It's good but we would like a little more strength. Either the turf does not give a particular taste, and in this case, as much smoked with conventional wood, or while the meat should be smoked a little longer. This starter is very good but less original than expected. The scallops are presented with a crumbled crab and mussels. The first are perfectly cooked, neither the crab nor the mussels come to encroach on their fine taste. The few branches of dill bring a welcome herbaceous power. And some caviar grains more. We start the tough part with drunk beef at Jameson. Impressive (and funny) preparation of a beef tenderloin stuck on an authentic fifteenth-century sword made in Taiwan. The waiter dramatically blazes at Jameson whiskey. This "service en salle" is like you don't often see! The deer fillet is perfectly cooked, "rosé" and very tender. Country accompaniment of vegetables. Fortunately we are spared the evergreen potatoes that invade Irish dishes too often. Beautiful Pavlova with wild red fruits for dessert. It is therefore a beautiful discovery that this Belleek Castle, with a very pleasant atmosphere, a little outdated but I love it. I will return one day to discover the rooms. Do not hesitate to take a tour before or after your meal at the bar. It is made of ship recovery wood and is shaped like a quarter-deck. Apart from the radiator that detonates a bit, the owner has created an atmosphere out of time. Thanks again to Paul Doran for welcoming us and having some of his beautiful bottles tasted. A little inconvenience, the chef is a little rigid on the menu service schedules. Very reasonable addition of 219,50 euros for 2. I do not integrate the two glasses of Yquem extra.

Definitely stop here if you are in the area. The castle has ten bedrooms for those that want to…read morestay overnight and a wonderful bar and restaurant. We stopped in to have a drink and really enjoyed the experience. Excellent way to end our day.

Brilliant 21st century lodging; Adrian in the restaurant was tremendous and efficient…read more WOW...not what you expect to find in the west of Ireland.....and all the better for it. It's funky slightly mad design style is very refreshing. The establishment is big.... goes way back from the street. Our room at the back was gloriously huge with a great bath and shower, king size bed and comfy sofas/chairs and even a chez long covered with zebra print! The room was very quiet and thus we slept well but would have been assisted by another blanket as the duvet was too warm for a summers night. Good selection of in room beverage tea/coffee, small fridge made for a comfortable stay. All the staff were lovely but Adrian deserves a special mention; he was young enthusiastic and chatty and made one particular supper in the bar very enjoyable. Despite only being young (still at school!) he had natural charm and affability. Our selection of food dishes were all delicious and the bar area provides a contemporary atmosphere.

What a wonderfully unexpected nice hotel to find in the west of Ireland - the decor is blingy and…read morein your face, but it adds a fun quirkiness to the place. The bedroom was well sized & appointed with a good sized bathroom with large 2 person walk in shower. The staff were lovely & the breakfast menu was extensive and food cooked & presented really well. Would very much recommend anyone stay here!

This hotel was built only a few years ago in Belmullet and was long overdue as the town was missing…read moreout on the wedding,golf, overnight stay market and spin off gained. 88 bedrooms with 2 bridal suites, large ball room, night club (The Haven), restaurant, bar, business centre and all the usual facilities a modern hotel has to offer. Leisure centre too so don't forget your swimwear. Within walking distance to the town ie footpaths all the way and shouldn't take anymore than 10 mins. Friendly staff, food can be hit and miss sometimes but usually good. Numerous functions held here and always well catered for. If you are a light sleeper make sure you ask if there is a disco on the night you are staying or if you can be located away from the noise and the nightclub is within the main hotel building. Plenty of parking at the front and rear and you know you are attending a big event if they have turned on the fountain at the front!

Very nice hotel in the centre of an admittedly smallish town with everything within walking…read moredistance. The free car park was a bonus that' was much appreciated. Room was comfortable and well appointed for our two night stay. On the first night, we ate in the restaurant - a practice I usually avoid but it was a long drive from Dublin and many restaurants in the town were closed on a Monday night. That said, the meal was surprisingly good. My deep fried cod was on the right side of fishiness with just the right amount of batter, My other half's vegetable Indian curry was, reportedly, pretty good too. My 'dessert' was a very moreish Espresso Martini but as I was theoretically here for work I eschewed a second. However, on our final night here, a tour party of, shall we say 'seniors', were populating the reception area and 'enjoying' a singalong with what I'm guessing was a local wedding band. Excruciating noise and made the bar uninhabitable. A pity. Would happily stay here again if I'm in the neighbourhood so long as there are no 'concerts' on !! Recommended on all fronts (apart from the concert!).

The place is very nice I've been here before. The staff are very nice the rooms are cool but the…read morecable was not good but you guys tryed ps there is no pool or hot

I can't speak for the hotel itself, as I've only tried their bar area and restaurant but it was…read morewonderful! My mom and I were there for about 5-6 hours and even tried a bit of their food (fish cake, duck rolls, and goat cheese tart) and all of it was delicious! Best of all was Thorsten though! He made the experience top notch and my mom and I couldn't stop talking about the great service we had. We had other waiters and bartenders taking care of us throughout but he kept coming up and making sure we were alright. We've done a 6 city tour and he's the best we've had so far so kudos to him! We'd come back just to have him again. Thanks for the great time!! :)

Exceptional While…read moretraveling Ireland we had the pleasure of spending two days at AC. I wish I had planned more. The staff is charming and exceptional. The grounds and capital are exceptional. The interior decor is beautiful Multiple activities including falconry are available The town of Cong is a short walk away and is where the movie was filmed Highly highly recommended Slainte!

This review is for the Hawk Walk experience only. This is…read moreone of the coolest things I've ever done! We got to hold and fly Harris Hawks like a falconer! Our guide was Neve and she was so nice and knowledgeable! Excellent animal encounter! Beautiful friendly birds flying free on the beautiful grounds of Ashford Castles gardens and landing and taking off from your glove! I could do this everyday!!

Absolutely amazing hotel food and rooms spectacular well worth a visit. Stunning beaches and walks…read moreand I believe fishing is great in area. Seafood restaurant in hotel is really good and staff are so friendly and helpful. A must.

From the owner: The freshly renovated Talbot Lodge is a delightful blend of character and style and is not your…read morebland anywhere any place hotel....... Located in the village of Geesala, just south of the picturesque sea side town of Belmullet in Erris, voted Irish Times Best Place to go Wild! The rustic charm of Talbot Lodge with its many open fireplaces provides a homely atmosphere for visitors and guests to enjoy. Visitors to Talbot Lodge are charmed by the village, the real Irish Welcome and its wide-ranging landscape of sea, sky and surrounding mountains

Beach in the back yard! We enjoyed our stay! Service was…read moreexceptional and location. Restaurant & bar were very good! Room was spacious & comfortable. Nice & clean stay. Most shops were closed due to off season. Ballina was a 15 min drive for more shops & food.

This hotel was absolutely stunning, the staff was lovely, the room had a spectacular view and the…read morelocation was amazing! I had an incredible two day stay here, nothing but relaxation! The season was completely dead, in this area of south Sligo it is all holiday/summer homes so it was just us and a select few others who were staying in the hotel.

On the way in to this hotel there's a sign that says something along the lines of 'you are now…read moreentering a stress free' zone. So true. This is one of the most chill places I've ever had the privilege of staying. The rooms are small but incredibly comfortable despite the dodgy plumbing. We booked in for three nights on a bed, breakfast and dinner package with 3 other couples on the bank holiday weekend in June. We had a blast. The food is magnificent. The breakfast alone sets the tome for the day and dinner is a delight. Nothing fancy. Just good wholesome food, beautifully presented and with well drilled and attentive staff. Relax at any time during the day in several day rooms with coffee or booze more or less on tap. Live music at night in the bar after dinner leading to a sing song ranging from Irish ballads to ABBA ensure a relaxing, no hassle weekend. During the day, there is so much to see and do in the beautiful Connemara countryside within easy striking distance of the hotel. Must see tourist destinations such as Kylemore Abbey and chic food trucks such as The Misunderstood Heron in nearby Letterfrack have to be experienced. Experience also the grounds in the immediate vicinity for a bracing walk in the afternoon or even a dip in the sea right next to the hotel. For the less adventurous, the hotel,has a heated outdoor swimming pool as well. Given that it was an all-in package it was incredibly good value in my opinion. Highly recommended. Will definitely return. It's a minimum 4.5 hour drive from Dublin so need at least 3 nights to get the full chillax experience.

Location is amazing. Pub is excellent. Rooms are small and tired. The suites in the back are…read morerecommended. Sometimes dinner is a cattle call type experience, but the food was always good. Not many hotel choices here, this is it. For the money, we find better value doing a VRBO.

An exceptional experience from start to finish! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was perfect…read more Check in was a breeze..we just went up to the gentleman at the desk, gave him our name, and he handed us the key to our room. It took, maybe, three minutes. He also confirmed our dinner reservations for the evening. In the lobby (which was more like a grand hall), they had a lovely array of complimentary coffee, teas, and pastries...all served with beautiful bone china. The castle is absolutely stunning both inside and out. The interiors are grand, and the grounds are just beautiful. We spent several hours walking around the park-like setting, and had drinks on the terrace overlooking the garden. Fantastic. We also walked through every inch of the interior's public rooms...don't miss the church! The entrance to our room was tucked away under a staircase. When I first saw it I thought, "Oh no, this room is going to be the size of a closet". When we went in we were taken aback. It was massive, with a very comfortable bed, sitting area, bathroom and a huge jetted tub. And it was clean as a pin, too. Dinner in the castle's opulent Dining Room was exemplary. Service was friendly and good-humored, and the food was very, very good. My wife had the salmon and I had the beef; both were perfect. We did the 3 course meal for 65 euros each, and feel it was worth every penny. Breakfast the next morning was just as good. It was also in the Dining Room, and was included in the rate we paid. Hot food was ordered off the menu, and cool food (cereals, fruit, cold meats, etc.) were offered buffet style. One last thing: as opulent, grand, and over-the-top as Markree Castle is, the one thing it wasn't was pretentious. You don't have to break out your tux, or sequined cocktail dress; as long as you don't look like you just rolled out of bed, you should be fine. At dinner I wore a white dress shirt and a nice pair of green jeans; I felt perfectly comfortable. Out of the 12 nights we spent in Ireland, this was our favorite we stayed. It's more than just a bed to put your head on; it's an experience, and an amazing one at that.

The drive into Markree Castle is a bit Agatha Christie, especially in torrential rain. You can't…read morehelp but think of Belgian detectives and drawing room accusations as you wind through the estate until you reach the castle. Once you're there though, it's the perfect place to disappear to for a few days of relaxation. We stayed at the apartments on the estate, in a converted stables. They were really nicely set up, very comfortable. These are pet-friendly too, so our dog was able to join us for the trip. It was great to just be able to take her for a walk around the estate. Location wise, there's a lot to do for outdoorsy types. A couple of loughs and bogs are good for hikers, and a few nice pubs in nearby Coolooney.