Gregans Castle Hotel,
The Burren,
Co. Clare
Gregans Castle Hotel enquiries
www.gregans.ie
We loved our recent stay at Gregans Castle set in the rugged beauty of North Clare overlooking Galway Bay. It was the view, the gardens, the birdsong, the friendliness, the peace, the tranquillity and the wonderful food. Indeed, Gregans Castle with its long and interesting history is now one of Ireland’s most comfortable country houses.
Each of the bedrooms is individually appointed and decorated and ours even had a door out to our own private garden! Comfort is the overall feeling in this house, and the antiques, the furnishings, the colours, the flowers and the ever-burning peat fires all contribute to that feeling.
We went walking the next morning – there are Wellington boots at the door if you want to borrow them – and marvelled at the birdsong and the views across the bay and we met a couple of friendly donkeys on our way. You would not be in a hurry to leave this house and having devoured a huge breakfast we felt more like going for a snooze than getting our bags packed!
But back to our arrival the previous night and I was delighted to learn that even in this remote hideaway, it is possible to use the laptop and I joined a few other guests in the lounge where we all availed of the free wireless to check what was going on in the outside world. Once satisfied that all was well there was nothing for it but to snap the notebook shut and order a gin and tonic. What a pleasant task it is to peruse the menus beside a warm fire with good company and an aperitif in hand. At Gregans Castle it is a particularly enjoyable task indeed.
The reputation for fine food preceded our visit, and we were delighted to see that all the fish was caught around Galway Bay, and the meat came from local butchers. The wine list scouts the vinous world with aplomb, and we chose an organic Semillon from Catalonia, to complement our fine fish dishes. It seems so greedy to even contemplate breakfast, but after our walk the next morning we braved the dining room once again. More local produce awaited us here with organic free-range eggs and a wonderful local cheese from the Aillwee Caves, along with fine full Irish breakfasts, cold cuts, fresh fruit and organic yoghurt. The freshly pressed juice was so good we each went back for seconds.
The Castle was built between the 10th and 17th centuries and the present house dates from the 18th century. It opened as a Country House Hotel in 1976 and now Simon Haden, son of the original owners is the Managing Director. Both he and all his staff were so friendly from the moment we stepped over the threshold to when we reluctantly headed for home. They really know how to look after their guests. While Gregans Castle has a long and fascinating history, we are pretty sure that their future looks very promising too.
Get the best rates at www.gregans.ie
The Burren,
Co. Clare
Gregans Castle Hotel enquiries
www.gregans.ie
- Very charming family-run hotel.
- Located in unique area of outstanding beauty.
- Fabulous local and organic food.
We loved our recent stay at Gregans Castle set in the rugged beauty of North Clare overlooking Galway Bay. It was the view, the gardens, the birdsong, the friendliness, the peace, the tranquillity and the wonderful food. Indeed, Gregans Castle with its long and interesting history is now one of Ireland’s most comfortable country houses.
Each of the bedrooms is individually appointed and decorated and ours even had a door out to our own private garden! Comfort is the overall feeling in this house, and the antiques, the furnishings, the colours, the flowers and the ever-burning peat fires all contribute to that feeling.
We went walking the next morning – there are Wellington boots at the door if you want to borrow them – and marvelled at the birdsong and the views across the bay and we met a couple of friendly donkeys on our way. You would not be in a hurry to leave this house and having devoured a huge breakfast we felt more like going for a snooze than getting our bags packed!
But back to our arrival the previous night and I was delighted to learn that even in this remote hideaway, it is possible to use the laptop and I joined a few other guests in the lounge where we all availed of the free wireless to check what was going on in the outside world. Once satisfied that all was well there was nothing for it but to snap the notebook shut and order a gin and tonic. What a pleasant task it is to peruse the menus beside a warm fire with good company and an aperitif in hand. At Gregans Castle it is a particularly enjoyable task indeed.
The reputation for fine food preceded our visit, and we were delighted to see that all the fish was caught around Galway Bay, and the meat came from local butchers. The wine list scouts the vinous world with aplomb, and we chose an organic Semillon from Catalonia, to complement our fine fish dishes. It seems so greedy to even contemplate breakfast, but after our walk the next morning we braved the dining room once again. More local produce awaited us here with organic free-range eggs and a wonderful local cheese from the Aillwee Caves, along with fine full Irish breakfasts, cold cuts, fresh fruit and organic yoghurt. The freshly pressed juice was so good we each went back for seconds.
The Castle was built between the 10th and 17th centuries and the present house dates from the 18th century. It opened as a Country House Hotel in 1976 and now Simon Haden, son of the original owners is the Managing Director. Both he and all his staff were so friendly from the moment we stepped over the threshold to when we reluctantly headed for home. They really know how to look after their guests. While Gregans Castle has a long and fascinating history, we are pretty sure that their future looks very promising too.
Get the best rates at www.gregans.ie