After the drive from Donegal, we checked into Ashford Castle in the county of Mayo near the town of Cong. When we were looking up places to stay before the trip, I had read that if we wanted the castle experience, Ashford was a must. Built in 1228, it’s a medieval castle turned luxury five-star hotel! For those who know me, such lavishness is usually not my thing, but hey, it’s a castle, so of course it would be nice to stay in one!
Driving through the gates, it was evident that we were about to experience luxury accommodations. We arrived and everyone was so helpful… people wanting to take our bags, bring them to the room, give us an orientation of the castle, and pretty much provide anything we wanted. The castle has definitely maintained its medieval character. The room wasn’t modern, but it was quite nice. We had a lovely view of the lake too, which is always a plus. The grounds are gorgeous and a short walk leads to the village of Cong. The first night there we took a walk near the castle and went exploring in the nearby forest. It was quite nice to walk after all the driving throughout the day.
On the second day, we decided to take a drive through the Connemara region. We stopped at Kylemore Abbey and headed to Clifden for lunch before taking the Sky Road at the western-most edge of the area. Then it was back to the castle for some R&R- we went for dinner in Cong at Ryan’s Hotel pub, and then in the evening, we drank some coffee while playing a game using the backgammon board in the drawing room. Apparently I’m a quick study!
To note: I’m not really sure what a drawing room is. A quick google search has revealed it’s a room where you entertain guests. This totally makes sense, since we sat there for a while listening to some live music that was catered to the older crowd. At some point, we had had enough, and headed back to the room.
As I reflect on the Ashford experience, I’m so glad we stayed there, but I would not stay there again. In the end, I just didn’t feel like I quite fit in. That’s probably because I’m currently unemployed and there’s a slight air of pretension that doesn’t suit me. Robbie and I people-watched and noticed a bit of showy-ness in a lot of the guests. I must have looked out of place in my hiking shoes and bright orange jacket! Don’t get me wrong- everyone was very nice. I would recommend Ashford for the castle experience, but it may not be worth breaking one’s budget to do so… which is what we did!
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 