A Castle Tour and A Stay in One

August 13

Our bus left for Adare in County Limerick at 9:45 AM so everyone was able to sleep in which was most welcome. During our 2 hour ride to Adare there were lots of laughs as Gabby led a game of trivia with 2 teams - the front of the bus and the back. Stephen also provided us with more Irish history and some fun stories about what it’s like to live in Ireland. It rained during most of our trip but the skies cleared just as we pulled into Adare.

When we arrived in Adare a tour guide was waiting for our tour of the Adare Castle which dates back to the 12th century, Many of the castle walls still exist but parts of the castle were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in mid 17th century in his conquest over Ireland. While not habitable, the rooms have enough structure that we could visualize what living in the castle would have been like. We had the entire castle to ourselves for the entire time od the tour.

We ate lunch at what was once a candy shop and is now a pub called Aunty Lena’s, named after the original candy store owner. After lunch we had a little time for shopping before heading to our next and final stop for the day, Dromoland Castle in County Clare.

As our bus pulled into Dromoland Castle driveway we got our first view of the massive and meticulously manicured grounds. As we made our way up the driveway to the castle, Gabby played the theme song from Downton Abby. The castle, which was formerly a home, is now a hotel, and our home for 3 nights. It was a site to behold. As we pulled up on the curved stone covered drive, the staff was lined up along the walk to greet us.

Dromoland Castle dates back to 1014 when the former structure and surrounding 2000 acres were ruled by Donnough O’Brien.The current castle was built in the 17th century by the O’Brien’s and their dependents owned the property until the mid 20th century when the new owner performed major renovations and transformed the castle into a hotel. The hotel maintains the feel of a real castle. Some of the land was sold with the castle and now is home to a golf course and recreational facilities for the castle guests.

After checking in to this exquisite facility we had a little time to walk around the estate before an adult dinner at the Fig Tree Restaurant while the younger guests enjoyed a movie with Gabby. The gardens at the restaurant were breathtaking.