By Maria Papagiannopoulou,
When the weather permits, Ashford Castle is set on the shores of Lough Corrib, with a smattering of forested islands offering an ethereal backdrop for leisurely strolls. Nearby is the tiny village of Cong, which served as the scene for the 1952 film The Quiet Man (as everyone will tell you). Visitors are also on the doorstep of stunningly beautiful Connemara, and both Galway city and Knock Airport are at about an hour away.
After falling into disrepair during the recession, Red Carnation Hotels purchased Ashford Castle in 2013 and painstakingly repaired it. It features antiques and artworks, as well as traditional Irish craftsmanship and interior design, such as a shining bar counter made of moss-green Connemara marble and glistening Waterford and Donegal crystal chandeliers. The all-encompassing grandeur is counterbalanced by a warm welcome, that makes visitors feel at ease, rather than as if they are visiting a museum.
The Anglo-Norman House of Burke built a castle on the outskirts of a monastic site in 1228.
Following a fierce battle between the de Burgos’ forces and those of the English official, Sir Richard Bingham, Lord President of Connaught, when a truce was agreed, Ashford passed into the hands of a new master, after more than three and a half centuries under the de Burgos, whose surname became Burke or Bourke. Bingham took over the castle in 1589, and erected a walled enclave to its borders.
In approximately 1670 or 1678, Dominick Browne of the Browne family (Baron Oranmore and Browne) inherited the estate by a Royal Grant. The Browne family established the Ashford estate in 1715, and a hunting lodge in the manner of a 17th-century French château was built. The Brownes’ coat of arms is represented by the double-headed eagles, that may still be seen on the roof.
A branch of the family lived at the castle in the late 1800s. Thomas Elwood was the Brownes’ agent in Ashford in the early 1800s, and he was noted as living there in 1814.
Ardilaun’s nephew, Ernest Guinness, inherited the castle, which was sold to Noel Huggard in 1939. Huggard started the estate as a hotel, and it quickly became known for its country hobbies, like angling and shooting. Huggard’s parents had been in the hotel business in Waterville, County Kerry, since 1910, and his granddaughters, Louise and Paula, still own and operate The Butler Arms Hotel there.
John Ford, the film director, traveled to Ireland’s west coast in 1951, to shoot The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Much of the action in the film took place on the grounds of the castle, as well as in nearby Cong.
The castle has been utilized as a location for “French Court” in The CW’s hit medieval drama Reign in recent years. The castle and its gardens are featured significantly in the first three seasons of the drama, with the cast and crew returning to film on the estate on an annual basis.
Ashford Castle was named the best hotel in the world by “Virtuoso Travel Week” in August 2015, and the third finest hotel in the world by “Travel + Leisure” magazine in July 2015.
Today, the majority of visitors are from the United States (60 percent; 30% from Ireland; 10% from other), with Californians making up the highest percentage.
Following extensive renovations, the castle reopened in April 2015. All 820 windows were replaced, the roof was renovated with a new lead roof, and the brickwork was repointed. The property was restored for around €47 million.
The Prince of Wales (later King George V) and his Consort, the future Queen Mary; John Lennon; George Harrison; Oscar Wilde (whose father, Sir William Wilde, had an estate adjacent to Ashford, where the writer spent much of his childhood); President Ronald Reagan; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; US Senator Ted Kennedy; John Wayne; Maureen O’Hara; Robin Williams; Brad Pitt; Pierce Brosnan; and Prince Xavier have all visited the castle. Rory McIlroy, a professional golfer, married Erica Stoll there, on April 22, 2017.
References
- Ashford Castle, wikipedia.org, Available here
- Official page of the Ashford Castle, ashfordcastle.com, Available here
- The Lodge at Ashford Castle, thelodgeac.com, Available here
- Ashford Castle Hotel Review, telegraph.co.uk, Available here
