Ireland is full of majestic castles loaded with a rich history—and most of them are livable until now! No wonder you can find the best castles for rent in Ireland for a large group across its different cities.
In this article, we’ll be exploring these places to give you insights about their differences in terms of location and vicinity. We’ll also talk about the services and the offers they have so you can assess which suits your needs the most.
Let’s begin!
The Cost of Renting Castles in Ireland for a Large Group
Renting castles for a large group in Ireland has two categories. One, a fully serviced castle with staff and modern conveniences, and two, a self-catering castle wherein there are caretakers, but you do most of the things on your own just like in an Airbnb.
Fully serviced castles are more expensive. According to several sources, it’s normal to pay around €4,000—5,500 per week on average.
For self-catering castles, the average rates are between €1,200—3,300 per week. However, these rates may change depending on the size of the group and the requests you might want to add.
We recommend contacting the castles directly for a more exact estimate. We also recommend making sure you clarify additional charges.
Top Castles for Rent in Ireland for a Large Group
We’re reviewing the best castles for rent if you’re a large group using the following:
1. Ballyportry Castle
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| View and vicinity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Guest testimonials | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Ballyportry Castle is one of those castles that’ll leave you in awe the moment you catch sight of it. It’s near the Cliffs of Moher and Galway Bay, which tells you it has one of the best views in town!
What we love most about this castle is that it’ll really give you a medieval experience. It has a well-preserved interior, so most decorations are still from the medieval period.
It has a spacious great hall that feels relaxing. The castle also has other types of gothic decorations throughout like its oak roof trusses, an open fireplace, a stone floor, and couches.
There’s even a small kitchen with stairs that lead to the rooftop walk where it’s overlooking mountains and forests. Your group will definitely enjoy the picturesque views that are worthy of a place in your Instagram feeds.
We also love how conveniences are available to you like cosy beds, good heating, and other things you need. If you want catering for your group, it’s also available—just let them know beforehand!
Ballyporty Castle also has a reasonable rental fee. If you’re a group, it won’t be too heavy on your pockets!
Well, except for the fuel and energy fees. Look out for additional charges regarding this, so we recommend clearing it up with the castle’s staff beforehand.
Also, we think some of the safety and hazard tools need to be updated. Some fire extinguishers and first-aid kits were outdated.
Pros
- Majestic view
- Near Cliffs of Moher and Galway Bay
- Spacious great hall
- Medieval designs
- Clean and well-preserved
- Good heating
- Catering available
- Comfortable beds
- Reasonable rent
- Good food
Cons
- High fuel and energy costs aside from the rental fees
- Outdated fire extinguishers and first-aid boxes
Customer Reviews
A journey back in time
Staying in this castle is like a step back in time. While rustic and involving a lot of stone spiral stairs it was truly a unique experience. Did not have all the modern comforts but beds were nice, great fireplaces and beautiful stone and wood. Really was a lot of fun be kings and queens for a week. Definitely worthwhile as long as you can do without a few modern conveniences like wifi and central heating. You will love it!.—PWilk7, Trip Advisor
Reasonable rent
If you want to experience authentic Irish castle lodging with a touch of modern amenities surrounded by a mediaeval flavor this is the place to be. I strongly recommend you have at least one meal prepared by chef Fiona. It’s reasonably priced and a great way to start your ‘Castle’ experience.— Paul C., Trip Advisor
2. Lismore Castle
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| View and vicinity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Guest testimonials | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
When it comes to majestic views, Lismore Castle is one of those leading the charge. It has seven acres of gardens, which are open to the public during the day, but solely available for guests during the night.
According to the guests we talked to, walking around the gardens was one of their favourite activities to do. If you want to include other activities in your group package, just let the staff know and they can arrange dinner parties or even tournaments!
In fact, there are a lot of other activities you can enjoy if you rent the castle. One of these things is to kayak along the River Blackwater or just stroll around and take a view of the Knockmealdown Mountains!
Another thing we love about the castle is its cosy and convenient rooms. It’s obvious to us that it’s a well-preserved castle given the amenities in each room.
There’s also a private staff to take care of you, and they’re always available whenever you need help. We think you’ll also love that there’s a chef who makes everything from scratch—expect the food to be fresh and tasty all the time!
The only cons we see are for non-guests—while they can tour the gardens, which they say is expensive, they can’t tour the castle. To us, this is reasonable, since preserving a castle takes effort and caution, opening it to the public won’t do that.
In addition to this, we love how Lismore Castle makes sure the privacy of its guests won’t be compromised. We also love the exclusivity that’s being given to them.
Pros
- Private staff to take care of you
- Well-preserved castle
- Cosy and convenient rooms
- Amazing view of the Knockmealdown Mountains
- Has a head chef who makes everything from scratch
- Lismore Castle’s seven acres of gardens
- Lismore Castle Arts
- Guests can kayak along River Blackwater
Cons
- Privately owned so there are no castle tours for non-guests
- Expensive garden tour for the non-guests
Customer Reviews
Privately owned and can only be rented
Beautiful Castle. The Park of the castle is home to generous people who allow guests in there garden areas. Part of the castle is available for someone to rent, which includes 29 bedrooms so probably very expensive. Garden guests are allowed within both garden areas a restaurant and a small art gallery. Very beautiful and well kept.—Morgan, Google Reviews
Cosy and convenient stay
Wonderful place to stay they really make you feel at home.—Paul Feeney, Google Reviews
3. Slane Castle
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| View and vicinity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Guest testimonials | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Slane Castle is one of those castles that function as a public attraction and a private accommodation. During the day, there are events held on its grounds and guests can also tour the castle and the distillery.
If you’re not aversed in crowds during the day, we think Slane Castle is the perfect place for you. For once, it has a lot of staff that can cater to your large group, and they’re always eager to help or assist the guests whenever they’re needed.
Second, it has spacious and cosy rooms on the first floor. They’re also very luxuriously decorated and give off that feeling of living in a castle during ancient times.
Everything’s clean and well-preserved! Despite the castle being old, it has a lot of modern amenities to make sure the guests have all the conveniences they need.
We also love that the castle has lovely grounds you can explore even if there are events or tours happening. The castle has a view of the River Boyne for that extra touch of tranquility.
One of the things we think can be improved though is the long walk from the parking to the castle grounds. While it’s an opportunity to roam around, walking far isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Another inconvenience we think might throw you off is that during peak seasons, there are a lot of tours. For those wanting to enjoy private accommodation, this might be a little uncomfortable.
Pros
- Majestic grounds
- Has a distillery
- Lovely and helpful staff
- Open to the public for tours
- Has 5 ensuite bedrooms
- Spacious and cosy rooms
- Convenient and modern amenities
- Good food
- Near the River Boyne
Cons
- A lot of forbidden places on the grounds for non-guests
- Long walk from the parking space to the castle
Customer Reviews
Charming castle and good food
We had dinner and drinks in the pub.The food was very good. The castle was charming. The bartender is friendly and engaging. We learned that summer is the time to visit when major bands play outdoors.—Joan Sanaker, Google Reviews
Excellent location
Went for one of the dining events. Beautiful place, lovely bar and restaurant. Food was delicious and house (castle!) wine good. The after dinner entertainment was also excellent. A wonderful night!—Tim Baker, Google Reviews
4. Ballynagowan Castle
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| View and vicinity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Guest testimonials | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Ballynagowan Castle is a self-catering holiday castle, hence it’s one of the most private accommodations you can find in Ireland. What we love most about it is that even though it’s private, it’s close to many attractions like the Cliffs of Moher and Burren Park.
According to some of its guests whom we interviewed, the castle is the perfect place to stay if you’re a group. Renting the whole castle grants you access to its majestic grounds and spacious rooms!
We also love that it’ll truly give you a medieval experience. All rooms, including the kitchen and the great hall, are decorated with antiques and historical decorations, allowing you to experience that ancient vibe.
The great hall itself has a large gothic fireplace, which you wouldn’t see even in some castles. We love that the owners really put the effort into preserving the castle for its guests, hence it’s also not open to the public.
In fact, a lot of people who visit the area are disappointed that they couldn’t even explore the castle grounds. But according to the owners, it’s their way of protecting the castle and preserving it, which to us, is very reasonable!
The grounds are majestic as well, and you can explore them any time you want to. There are caretakers who can assist you with anything, and they’re very kind and accommodating!
Pros
- medieval experience
- Gothic fireplace
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Spacious great hall
- Perfect for groups
- Spacious rooms
- Centrally heated
- Historically decorated
- Near many attractions like the Cliffs of Moher
- Peaceful ambience
Cons
- Not for the public
- Can’t even take good photos of the grounds
Customer Reviews
Attentive caretakers
Celebrated our 50th anniversary with our children & spouses May 2022. Spent 9 wonderful days here. Caretakers were great. Highly recommended. Can’t wait to return.—James Townely, Google Reviews
A really mediaeval experience
This castle is amazing! We are staying here for three nights and I can’t believe it! It is private though so the only way to see it is to book a stay. The staircase and fireplace are original, the lady that showed us around was so nice and told us everything about the castle. It was built in the 1500’s and it’s still in its original form. There is a little binder full of info and 500 years of history. There is a washer/dryer, 3 bathrooms, an amazing grand hall, dining room, a kitchen with an oven/stove, fridge and dishwasher but I can’t even name it all… There are little holes in the wall where they would shoot people with guns and a murderhole in the stairs, and the dining room table was made in the 1600’s, and so much more! If you are in this area I highly recommend staying here.—Blye Eastmond, Google Reviews
5. Belle Isle Castle
| Location and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| View and vicinity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Guest testimonials | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Belle Isle Castle offers a lot of accommodations, so you can rent a room, a cottage, or the whole castle depending on the size of your group. This place is ideal for large groups though and has all the amenities you need!
What we love about the castle, which the guests totally agree with when we talked to them, is that it has stunning large grounds. You can just walk around in the morning to enjoy the scenery and fresh air, even bringing your dog with you–yes, it’s pet-friendly!
The atmosphere is so serene as well—quiet and peaceful. It’s really a nice retreat, especially for those who live in busy cities.
If you’re not in one of the rooms inside the castles, you can rent a cottage, which is also situated within the grounds. The cottages have a lovely view of the lake and the mountains, making your morning experience surreal!
The castle itself is well-preserved and has all the amenities you need. The staff are lovely and accommodating as well, and you can ask them for anything!
Another thing we love—the spacious and luxurious bedrooms! It’ll really give you that royalty experience.
The rooms are also made perfect for the colder months. Each room has a log burner with unlimited logs—extra heat during winter.
We hope the staff can add more signages on the grounds though. Since it’s very large, some guests get lost whenever they take a walk.
Also, some of the appliances in some rooms need replacements. Some guests complain about their ice boxes not working!
Pros
- Pet-friendly
- Lovely grounds
- Clean and cosy
- Stunning view of the lough
- Spacious and luxurious bedrooms
- Excellent catering
- Peaceful ambience
- Log burners with unlimited logs
Cons
- Needs more signage on the trails
- Some appliances need replacements
Customer Reviews
Spacious bedrooms
Beautiful, peaceful and tranquil location set on an island (accessible by bridge) in Lough Erne with a captivating view over the lakes from the South-facing Castle. The bedrooms and bathrooms were luxurious, comfortable and exceptionally spacious. The reception rooms/drawing rooms were large, opulent and equally spacious. We had a truly remarkable long weekend in the characterful house/castle. The catering was excellent and the staff were friendly, helpful, professional and courteous. For us, it was a perfect location for a family reunion to celebrate a 90th birthday and cost pp was reasonable. My only regret was that it was too short – I would have loved to stay longer!—Sean Donohue, Google Reviews
Pet-friendly
Lovely location, we stayed in #3 the courtyard it was like walking into Dr Who’s tardis, so big and spacious, log burner, kitchen and a very spacious lounge area complete with a dinner table and chairs Upstairs a great bathroom with a very spacious shower the bedroom was massive with a king size bed 3 windows with blackout blinds. Lovely walks if you bring your pet, we brought our collie, Flynn, and the walks are mostly hardcore but the woodland walks were a bit muddy and could do with a bit more signage. All in all lovely staff lovely quiet relaxing location we will definitely return .—Billie Lavery, Google Reviews
FAQs About Castles for Rent in Ireland for a Large Group
There you go! We hope our review helped you find a good castle for your group to rent for your vacation, If you’re up for a more intriguing visit, we recommend exploring Leap Castle’s Haunted Past.