Glin Castle
Glin Castle is situated on the banks of the River Shannon, 30 miles from Limerick in the west of Ireland.
Built from local stone the fully restored castle is set in the centre of a 500 acre wooded estate with three gothic battlemented folly lodges. It is a plain Georgian castellated house with a colonnaded entrance built over three floors.
Facilities
Today Glin Castle is rented out on exclusive basis between March and November and is capable of sleeping up to 30 guests, or seating up to 50 people for wedding receptions and special occasions.
Guests renting the castle will have full use of all the castle's rooms along with all the housekeeping and kitchen staff. On the ground floor the castle consists of a sitting or smoking room, library, drawing room and dining room. Access to first floor is via a distinctive flying staircase, which appears to have no support, where the individually designed guest bedrooms and bathrooms can be found, there are 4 deluxe rooms, 6 superior and 5 standard rooms; the superior and standard rooms being in the old castle wing or on the third floor.
The castle's gardens are also available to guests with its walled kitchen garden and the opportunity to try tennis and croquet on the lawns.
The castle was originally a long thatch house built by in the 1780's by Colonel Richard Fitzgerald; Knight of Glin and decedent of the Desmond clan, to replace an earlier ruined medieval settlement.
The castle was added to by his nephew John Fitzgerald until 1790 when he incorporated the long house into the west wing. He was also responsible for enlarging the main block by adding a hall, grand double flying staircase, two more reception rooms the drawing room and library.
The castle is still in the hands of the Knights of Glin with the current owner being the 29th Knight and his wife who are also involved with the auction house 'Christies' of London.