Every couple of nights, we stayed at a different castle, each with a unique personality. Here are just a few of our favourites.

CABRA CASTLE

Cabra Castle is located in Kingscourt, County Cavan, and dates back to 1760. This is the castle from my romance novels. Cabra is large, beautiful and haunted.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Oscar, a large, friendly Irish wolfhound.

The grand manor sits on 100 acres and is surrounded by smaller outbuildings (we stayed in the Milk House).

It’s a pleasant stroll from the Milk House to the castle, down walkways and through gardens.

All the doors are left open in the castle. Inside, it’s rich, warm, inviting and elegant.

KILRONAN CASTLE

At the edge of a lake in Ballyfarnon, is Kilronan Castle. The castle was redone less then 4 years ago and is the epitome of luxury. I don’t have the words to describe the experience at Kilronan. 

Rich, beautiful, carved woodwork and leaded glass windows are abundant and gives the castle an elegant warmth.

The grounds are serene, with swans swimming on a lake surrounded by woods where surely faeries must live!

KINNITTY CASTLE

Kinnitty Castle (or Castle Bernard) is a 13th-century gothic revival castle in Kinnitty, and it’s positively medieval. Built in 1209, very little has been done to upgrade it (no elevators here!) and it really feels like a castle. The castle sits on 650 wonderful acres and retains its original features and a good deal of the original furnishings.

Tapestries, taxidermy and wrought iron…there’s even suits of armor to greet you.

We stayed in the “Seret Suite” which was in the top of a turret  Did I mention there were no elevators? The path to our room was long…very, very long. Take a look at just a portion of the trek.

King Ryan married Seret, of Belgium, and brought her furniture from her homeland. Much of it’s still in the castle, including her bed. Trust me when I say, it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Of all the castles we visited, Kinnitty had the very best dungeon, which was a wine cellar and pub. A maze of rooms with stone walls and floors, murals of monks on every ceiling, large wooden tables and chairs. The atmosphere was perfect!

The grounds are a treasure trove of hidden secrets. Exploring them was one of the highlights of the trip. From the courtyard to the 10th century carved stone cross, Kinnity was one of our favourite stops.