Glin Castle in Ireland
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
by Patricia McKinney-Lins
http://www.majestic-castles-in-ireland.com
If you've always wanted to stay in a castle, Glin Castle in County Limerick, Ireland is the place for you! The castle is located on the banks of the River Shannon and offers you the unique opportunity to imagine what it was like to live in medieval times.
You can fly to Shannon airport and drive to Glin Castle for your first night of lodging. You may want to stay longer and make day trips to nearby attractions.
When you stay at Glin Castle, you will want to stay in at night to enjoy the freshly prepared dinners. Local produce and meat are featured in the delicious meals. The staff is wonderful and very attentive.
The gardens at Glin Castle are beautiful. If you stay in the upper rooms, you can look out onto the gardens and the River Shannon. The bedrooms at the castle are each decorated uniquely with 18th century furniture and art.
You will want to spend some time walking on the paths through the castle grounds and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
Glin Castle is one of the heritage houses of Ireland and is situated on land held for more than seven hundred years by the Fitzgerald family who were called the Knights of Glin.
The history of the Knights of Glin includes the original castle ruins nearby to the west. The present-day Glin Castle is a Georgian house with castellations and windows added. It was originally built in the late 17th century as a house for the knights who moved in from the old castle nearby.
Additional rooms were built in the 18th century, including the drawing room, reception rooms and the library. The stone for the house was brought in over land from a quarry in Athea.
There are many nearby attractions to visit on day trips when you stay at Glin Castle. You may want to take a walking tour of Limerick City and see King John’s Castle, Limerick Cathedral, and a few of the city’s art galleries and museums.
When I visited King John’s Castle, I had the feeling that I had really stepped back in time. Many displays show residents and soldiers at their jobs.
You may be interested in a tour of the Tarbert House, which is just southwest of Glin. It is a Queen Anne Georgian building from the late 1600s. The house is preserved in its original form, with furniture and paintings from the 17th century.
The town of Adare is near Glin. I had the best strawberries and cream when my friend Mary and I stopped at the Blue Door Restaurant on Main Street.
If you are a golfer, you will find many courses within driving distance of Glin. Famous courses such as Ballybunion Golf Club, Tralee Golf Club, Doonbeg Golf Club, Lahinch Golf Club and Limerick County Golf Club are worth the trip.
Whenever I visit Ireland, I pick up souvenir golf shirts for my husband and son.
Consider a stay at Glin Castle when you are visiting Ireland. It will be an experience to remember!
This Article has been viewed 109 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.