The best of the best
It has fine dining where the men are provided with dinner jackets, plush rooms, history and a stunning setting. No wonder Ashford Castle is...
ASHFORD Castle in Cong, Co. Mayo was this week voted the world’s No.1 hotel by Virtuoso, an international network of luxury travel agencies. The stunning hotel certainly has LINDA MAHER’s vote.
DRIVING up the sweeping entrance to Ashford Castle is quite an experience in i tself. The expansive castle, dating back almost 800 years, is exactly what you expect an Irish castle to look like – immense, foreboding and even a little scary.
One step inside the entrance, however, all thoughts of f ear are instantly defused.
Our first greeting was from the wonderfully friendly and dapper concierge Paddy, who is almost part of the furniture at Ashford by now. He took our cases and sat us down ready to check in.
As we made our way up to the room, we couldn’t help but look around in complete awe at the surroundings.
Suits of armour, wonderfully ornate cornicing, paintings dating back hundreds of years, bookshelves filled with tomes just waiting to be taken down and read — I felt every inch a five-star VIP.
The room – complete with plush four-poster bed, a huge bath and stunning views across Lough Corrib – is hard to leave, but there are at least three reasons why you should.
One is the food. From traditional fare such as Pigs ‘Head to Toe’ with boxtie potato, and slow braised beef and craft stout, Cullen’s at The Dungeon is the best spot for comfort food – like you don’t have enough of that already.
The George V Dining Room brings more sense of occasion to a meal, with a pianist tinkling away in the corner while you enjoy delights such as breast of partridge or roast Connemara lamb. Men even require a dinner jacket to eat here – although if you haven’t packed one, the hotel will happily provide it.
The second reason to get out and about is the local village of Cong, a short walk through the grounds of the castle and the setting for the Oscar-winning love story The Quiet Man.
From the statue of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in their iconic roles as Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher, to the Quiet Man museum and guided tours of the film locations, it’s a must visit for fans of the film.
And let’s face it, who doesn’t love it? If by some miracle you haven’t yet seen the iconic movie, don’t worry, there are regular screenings in the hotel and it’s available complimentary to watch in your room.
The third reason is Ireland’s oldest Falconry School, which is just a short walk from the castle.
Or a quick jaunt on the back of a golf cart driven by the witty storyteller Paddy, as we discovered.
We took a private guided lesson, which i nvolved us taking two hawks around the grounds and through the forest.
The birds are incredible creatures and their ability to work with people with zero experience is impressive. As our instructor let them go to fly off and perch proudly, we enticed them back with small pieces of dead chicks, which they could seemingly spot from quite a distance away, placed on our gloves awaiting their return.
The first time one of them comes swooping at you seeking a snack is a little intimidating, I must admit, but they are such beautiful creatures, you get used to them very quickly. A word of warning though, when in the forest it’s harder to spot them, and they may come up on you from behind – not for the faint-hearted.
It’s not hard to see why Ashford has been named the world’s best hotel at the Best of the Best Awards in Las Vegas. It well and truly earns every one of its five stars – and then some.