o place in Ireland was more enchanting than Ashford Castle. Located near the small village of Cong, in County Mayo of Ireland, Ashford sits on the edge of a huge lake known as Lough Corrib. The castle is surrounded by an ancient oak forest, and is a mile or two from the historical village of Cong which holds the ruins of an ancient Augustinian abbey that dates from 1128, roughly a century before Ashford was built. The abbey was started by the High King of Ireland who lived in Connaught at this time, who was known as Toirdhealbhach Mór Ó Conchúir. ¹ Before the abbey, there was a 6th century monastery on this location, evidence of the many early religious people who inhabited Ireland, and left behind a wealth of archaeological sites.

     In 1228, Ashford was founded by an Anglo-Norman family by the name of de Burgos, after they defeated the O'Connor Clan, natives of Connaught (also spelled Connacht), for whom the Abbey of Cong is attributed. ² They built several castles, but Ashford was their “principal stronghold.” Over the centuries, Ashford underwent many changes in ownership. In 1589, after what was described as a fierce battle between the de Burgos — who had been the owners for the past three and a half centuries — and Lord Bingham, the present English Governor of Connaught, Lord Bingham became the new owner of Ashford Castle. The parties agreed upon a truce and that was the end of the de Burgos era. After taking ownership, Lord Bingham added “a fortified enclave” to the castle. ³

     In 1715, Ashford was referred to as an “estate,” and was owned by the Oranmore and Brown family. These owners also added an addition in the form of a French style chateau, which can be seen in the center portion of the castle, as pictured below. (It appears that the castle grew outward from this center portion, and was added onto in stages.)

    By 1852, Ashford once again had a new owner, this one by the name of Sir Benjamin lee Guinness (maker of Guinness stout and beer), who was also one of the wealthiest men in Ireland. He expanded the property to 26,000 acres, and in so doing, built new roads and added thousands of trees, as well as completing two large, Victorian style wings. Ashford eventually was passed on to Sir Benjamin's son, Lord Ardilaun, who continued to oversee the development of the woodlands around the castle, and also rebuilt one of its wings. From 1915 to 1939, the castle was retained by the Guinness family trust, but in 1939 was again repurchased, this time by a businessman named Noel Huggard, who was reponsible for transforming it into a first-class hotel. Royal European families, politicians, tourists, as well as movie stars came to visit Ashford and stay at the castle as a result. In 1951, film director, John Ford came to Ashford to film a movie called, “The Quiet Man.”

    By the 1970’s, Ashford was once again purchased by yet another businessman whose name was John Mulcahy. He oversaw a complete restoration and expansion of the present castle/estate/hotel, doubling it in size, and added a golf course. In 1985, a group of Irish-American investors decided to purchase Ashford, and continued on in the vein of its tradition as a hotel, transforming it into one of the finest hotels in Europe.

     Today, Ashford is considered a first-class hunting lodge and country estate, as well as a hotel, where people can enjoy outdoor sports like falconning, horseback riding, hiking and golfing, or just exploring the beautiful (and historic) Irish countryside. It has been visited by many celebrities from the U.S. as well, whose pictures can be seen on a wall in one of the castle’s upper rooms. The castle is enormous, and has beautiful, dark wood paneled walls, elaborately carved ceilings, and majestic stone fireplaces. At night, the wind roars outside, and inside the floorboards creak, but this does not detract from the warm ambience or the enjoyable time to be had there. One of the most memorable occasions was our evening spent in the “Dungeon Bar” where we were entertained by one of Ireland’s most renowned singers and harpists, Annette Griffin. The Dungeon Bar hosts nightly performances and sing-alongs with both Annette and another musician, Brendan O’Byrne, of traditional Irish as well as popular songs accompanied by the harp and piano. Several of Annette’s CDs such as “Songs from the Heart of Ireland” are available for purchase at the castle. One of my other favorite musicians, Phil Coulter, also one of Ireland’s most talented, is a composer (and pianist) of New Age music. I highly recommend two of his CDs, “Highland Cathedral” and “Lake of Shadows” for anyone who likes instrumental music with an Irish flavor. The CDs capture some of the spirit and history of Ireland with their haunting sounds, using instruments like Uileann pipes, drums, fiddles, flutes and whistles, harp and guitar, as well as piano and vocals.

     The castle’s website can be found at: www.ashford.ie, with lots of lovely photographs.

1.) Historic Ireland: 5,000 Years of Ireland's Heritage; page 59, historical note: "The Cross of Cong."
Author, Dáithí Ó h'Óhgáin; publisher Gill & MacMillan © 2001.

2-3.) All historical dates and information on Ashford Castle borrowed/compiled from:
"Ashford Castle - A Brief History, 700 Years in the Making," (a two-page essay).
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