We’ve rounded up our favourite castle hotels in Ireland, where you can sleep in a four-poster bed, roam the enchanted grounds, steep yourself in medieval history and take some time out in the modern-day spas.
Whether it’s your anniversary, a special occasion or maybe just a really good date night, enjoy being treated like royalty at one of our favourite luxury caste hotels for couples.
Just a 20-minute drive from Cork City, this 18th-century castle hotel is the perfect destination for a romantic escape for two.
Set on 220 acres of impressive grounds featuring lakes, streams and an 18-hole golf course, Castlemartyr Resort shares its estate with the ruins of an 800-year-old castle built under Strongbow.
Set on 100 acres of parkland and garden, with the magnificent backdrop of Dun a Ri Forest Park, this castle hotel in Ireland is located just an hour and a half from both Dublin and Belfast.
Dublin’s only castle hotel, dating back to 1172, combines 12th-century architecture with 21st-century facilities; Clontarf Castle is a romantic break offering the best of both worlds to couples.
You don’t even need to leave the capital for a luxurious castle stay, as it’s just a ten-minute drive from the city centre. You’ll be totally spoiled, from suites with four-poster beds with Butlers chocolate on the pillows to the chic Indigo Lounge with its red chandeliers and excellent wine list.
Nestled among the rugged Connemara landscape at the foot of the Twelve Bens mountain range, this luxurious castle hotel in Ireland overlooks a salmon fishery on the Owenmore River.
Situated on its own 310-acre private island, only accessible via the resort’s private car ferry, this 16th-century castle hotel promises to be a totally romantic and intimate escape for you and yours.
An original 17th-century castle tower with turrets and arrow-slit windows that overlook a long sandy beach on Antrim’s Ballygally Bay, this romantic castle hotel Ballygally Castle boasts manicured lawns, palm-lined paths and sea views.
Located just 25 minutes from Wexford town and under two hours from Dublin, this 19th-century castle hotel in Ireland is set on the banks of the Boro River, surrounded by open parkland and quiet wooded countryside.
Nestled in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, this medieval castle hotel is set on 650 acres of rolling parkland, only 90 minutes from Dublin, Limerick and Galway.
With a history dating back to the 1590s, this romantic castle hotel in Ireland – Ballyseede Castle – is set along the Wild Atlantic Way on 30 acres of private gardens and woodlands, at the gateway to the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.
This incredible castle hotel in Ireland is tucked away in a grand estate in Meath dating back to 1764, boasting over 21 acres of spectacular grounds and woodland walks, and is only 18 kilometres from Dublin.
On the shores of Lough Corrib, on 350 acres of parkland and forested islands, this romantic hotel occupies a 13th-century castle that blends rich history with contemporary appeal, with beautiful touches such as Waterford Crystal chandeliers and antique rosewood furniture.
This castle hotel in Ireland even boasts an onsite 32-seat cinema!
This secluded castle hotel in Ireland is set on the shores of Lough Meelagh in Roscommon, surrounded by over 40 acres of green pastures, and ancient forests.
A majestic 12th century castle that was once the medieval stronghold of the FitzGeralds, earls of Kildare, Kilkea Castle Hotel & Golf is set in the lush countryside of Castledermot, just an hour’s drive from Dublin.
Check into this gorgeous 17th-century castle in Ireland and be treated like King and Queen for the weekend. Tucked away in a secluded lakeside estate on the shores of Lough Eske, it’s the only 5-star hotel in the county.
A baronial castle that was once the ancestral home of the O’Brien clan, the direct descendants of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, Dromoland Castle is now a beautiful Renaissance hotel with its own golf-course.
One of the most exclusive venues in Ireland’s North East, this ivy-clad 17th-century castle hotel is the centrepiece of the 17-acre estate on the banks of the River Glyde, only 45 minutes from Dublin and an hour from Belfast.
Situated along the Wild Atlantic Way in the countryside that inspired WB Yeats, this romantic Gothic castle hotel is set on 500 acres where you can enjoy horse-riding and making a wish in the castle’s wishing well.
Spread over a sprawling 840-acre estate (basically the size of New York’s Central Park), the 19th-century Neo-Gothic castle hotel is one of Europe’s leading luxury golf resorts.