Registered User
Posts: 7
(10/7/01 8:56 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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Hello Michele

We are considering a stay at Carrigeen Castle in Cahir.
Have you had any experience with them? Any comments, negative or positive, would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Mark

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 270
(10/8/01 12:11 am)

Re: Carrigeen Castle

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Hi Mark,

I haven't personally inspected Carrigeen Castle but have heard plenty of feedback from various people who have stayed there as well as other B&B owners who have had dealings with the owner. Firstly, it is not an "authentic" castle but was built as a jail to resemble a castle. I have repeatedly heard that the owner is eccentric - that's the one thing people seem to agree on. Some people have enjoyed staying there while others hated it. I realize that the mixed reviews don't help you much but all I can do is pass along what I've heard.

I suppose it all boils down to whether you want to stay in a real castle or a look alike, the level of comforts and luxury you expect, and what you want your castle experience to be like. When it comes to staying in a castle you usually get what you pay for.

If you stay there we would enjoy hearing of your experiences.

Happy travels,

Michele

markryan
Registered User
Posts: 8
(10/9/01 8:52 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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Hi Michele,

I was expecting the word "eccentric" based on other comments I've seen. Since we'll be in Cahir for three days we would rather stay someplace we would be less apprehensive about. Any suggestions?

As far as castles we think Dromoland looks great and we could celebrate our last evening there. The only problem I see with this is that I wear a jacket and tie every day and I like to part company with them while on vacation. Would I feel out of place there in a pair of slacks and sport shirt? I know dinner there is a jacket and tie affair so are there places to eat nearby under my terms? Is Bunratty a reasonable distance to drive for dinner. Maybe we could attend their banquet.

Thanks for all the help you have given us.

Mark

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 271
(10/10/01 1:26 am)

Castles

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Hi Mark,

Glad to help out with your trip. I'm afraid I don't have any personal recommendations for accommodations in Cahir though there is a three star hotel there and several B&Bs. You can check them out from my links page under "Accommodations" click on Be Our Guest and Town and Country. I have a few recommendations in nearby Cashel if that will be of any help.

As for Dromoland Castle I think you will be fine wearing nice slacks and a sports shirt as long as you don't have dinner there. There is a golf course, fishing and horseback riding at the castle so you will see people dressed for various sports during the day. Bunratty Castle is not far away and going to the banquet for dinner is an excellent idea. People are very laid back at Bunratty, eating with fingers and a dagger, drinking soup out of bowls and wiping hands on a bib - more your style? There are also many other good restaurants in Bunratty and Limerick.

Michele

Larry W
Unregistered User
(10/10/01 10:06 am)

Carrigeen Castle

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I stayed at Dromoland on Sept 25. If you dine in the better restaurant, you must wear a tie and jacket There were two other less formal places to eat, but get reservations early. I choose to have a early dinner before I arrived at Dromoland to avoid packing a jacket and tie. The lounge also requires a tie before 10:00 PM. Otherwise, decent slacks and shirt were OK for the rest of the time.
The standard room at Dromoland was very nice, but most of the interior structure is not a stereotype showcase for images of a medieval castle. It is a very upscale resort/hotel, nice exterior, nice grounds.

markryan
Registered User
Posts: 9
(10/10/01 9:03 pm)

Dromoland

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Hi Larry,

Thanks for your experience at Dromoland. I wasn't expecting the lounge to require a tie before 10 PM. I guess my tee shirt printed to look like a tux would be out of the question

Mark

Cattttt
Registered User
Posts: 1
(10/13/01 12:21 am)

Carrigeen

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I have stayed recently at Carrigeen Castle In Cahir ...and though I adore Ireland and the Irish people in general, I would steer anyone away from this place. I was not pleased at all with the castle or with its owner.

And I will tell you why as impassionately as I am able....

I make it a habit to call from the states a month before to reserve a room for each night I am going to be in the country ...especially if my trip is during the high season. I chose Carrigeen because of its interesting history and its proximity to the authentic Norman Castle right down the road. I explained to Mrs Butler that my two daughters would be with me (well behaved girls ages 13 and 19)

Then one the day we are to arrive anyplace, I call ahead by 4 in the afternoon if we are going to be any later than that.

I did both of these things....pre-reserved with details a month before and called ahead on the day we were to arrive.

We arrived at 5 PM and had to wait for quite some time to be shown our room because the lady of the house said she did not realize there were to be three of us.

Now I am not one to care about small inconveniences and was willing to allow that a mistake had been made. The woman was perfectly willing to change our room so I maintained a very pleasant attitude...things happen.

We eventually were shown to a room.... a very modern room I might add...not exactly what I expected in such an ancient and historic building....but it was very clean and nicely decorated.

And we freshened up and decided to go into town for a bite to eat. On the way out Mrs Butler stopped us to ask what we would like for breakfast. She has a choice for her guests rather than just the traditional breakfast which I thought was very nice. I do adore a traditional Irish breakfast but after a month of it I really would have rathered something different. My 13 year old wanted cereal only and that was fine, and my 19 year old and I thought the fruit and cheese plate sounded wonderful.

Then Mrs Butler asked where we were off to..... this, for those of you who have not been to Ireland before, is not a intrusive question. In fact it is somewhat a quite common question asked out of concern and willingness to offer suggestions for your enjoyment. I told Mrs Bulter we were going to walk into town for some pub grub.

And it was here that I first because slightly annoyed with her. She told me that she personally would not go into one of those places....ladies went only to lounges in the nicer hotels for a meal. And she added that she could tell by looking at the outside of a place what sort of place it was.....meaning pubs were somehow unsavory and those who entered them much the same. I accept this as her opinion and we said our goodbyes and left to do as we pleased. I glossed it over for the girl's sakes but inside I was not pleased at the idea Mrs. Butler was insinuating my daughters and myself conducted ourselves in less than a ladylike fashion.

The following morning we settled into our table for breakfast. The youngest served herself cereal from the assortments available and the oldest and I waited for our fruit and cheese. When it came we were disappointed. I have had fruit and cheese plates in other places....the nicest one that comes to mind was in Carriglea House in Killarney. But the plate we were served in Carrigeen Castle was poor by comparison to all others. The plate held two slices of plastic wrapped cheese slices, a small apple, a small orange, and a tiny group of grapes. Nothing was peeled or sliced or prepared...in fact it appeared to have been tossed on the plate willy-nilly.

Now I will say.... the castle had many interesting items .... the grounds and the house itself was immaculately clean .... there certainly was ample parking and it is situated nicely for touring.

But the hospitality and the preparation (or lack thereof) gave me the feeling we was one of many tourist she herded in and out of the place to line her pockets.


Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 279
(10/15/01 12:44 am)

Re: Carrigeen

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Hi Cattttt,

Thanks very much for taking the time to post your candid opinion of Carrigeen Castle. And a very thorough report it was. Now if you really want to sample a nice fruit plate try Tullyesker Country House outside Drogheda. I'm rather partial to their scrambled eggs with smoked salmon myself. I'm getting hungry!

Michele

 

MarthaA
Unregistered User
(10/15/01 8:17 pm)

Fearful

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Now I'm wondering if we've made a huge mistake. We're booked to stay at Carrigeen our very first night in Ireland this Friday! I hope it doesn't put us off to a bad start!

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 281
(10/15/01 8:40 pm)

Re: Fearful

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Hello MarthaA,

Don't be fearful about staying at Carrigeen Castle, just go with an open mind and be determined to enjoy yourself...and don't get the fruit and cheese plate for breakfast!

Be sure to see Cahir Castle and if the weather is good take a walk along the river to visit the Swiss Cottage (if you're tired or it's raining you can drive to it). The Cahir House Hotel and Galtee Inn both have good food. If you are into antiques there is a huge antique shop right in the middle of town.

Please enjoy your trip to Ireland. Let us know what you think of Carrigeen Castle on your return. We would enjoy hearing your personal opinion.

Happy travels,

Michele

Cattttt
Registered User
Posts: 6
(10/16/01 2:51 pm)

Re: Fearful

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Martha....as Michele said, just enjoy yourself....there is nothing wrong with the place if your expectations are not too high. I mean it was clean and nicely done. You'll be fine....

I always try to follow this rule.... No one is responsible for your happiness but yourself.

One night does not a whole holiday make!

Hope I did not worry you too much.... Cath

MarthaA
Unregistered User
(10/28/01 7:06 pm)

No Problems

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As planned, we stayed at Carrigeen on our first night. Peig Butler was as nice as could be and we had no problems.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 292
(10/29/01 2:34 pm)

Re: Carrigeen Castle

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Hi MarthaA,

Glad to hear you enjoyed your stay at Carrigeen Castle. Would enjoy very much hearing about your impressions of it if you have the time. Thanks!

Michele

MarthaA
Unregistered User
(11/7/01 4:14 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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As I said, our experience at Carrigeen Castle was totally pleasant. We flew into Shannon, drove to Cashel , toured the Rock of Cashel and then went on to Cahir. We were very tired. Peig Butler was gracious and welcoming. There were two other American couples there and we joined them in the parlor for coffee. Later we walked down to the Galtee Inn for dinner which was delicious (lamb and duck). Our room at Carrigeen was upstairs over the breakfast area. It was very comfortable, not as new & shiny as some of the purpose built places where we stayed later, but the bed was firm and the shower had good pressure. Breakfast was very good. I did not have the fruit and cheese! My husband and I both had the traditional Irish breakfast. It did not come with blood pudding, which is okay with me! I know that others may have had bad experiences at this B&B but based on our stay I would recommend it.

Michele Erdvig
Unregistered User
(11/7/01 11:41 pm)

Thanks Martha

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Martha,

Thanks for coming back to post more about your stay at Carrigeen Castle. The Galtee Inn is good and is listed in my book. Delicious Irish stew there also.

Michele

Celticfawn
Unregistered User
(11/13/01 8:39 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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We stayed there last year. It was not quite what I
expected. Mrs. Butler is English living in Ireland.
Once you understand that the rest is easy.
The room was large and clean. We had a great view of the stone wall. This was a prison and none of the rooms have views of the countryside. There is a great B&B just down the road that has riding stables. We didn't stay there but it really looked nice and going again would stay there.
Cahir Castle is a must see. And the town is quaint. We ate in the pubs and had a fabulous time. Do see
Swiss House it is the Biggest little house I've ever seen! You'll understand that comment once you have been there. The river Suir is beautiful.
We did have a good breakfast there but it felt more like a hotel with staff that definitely were quite standoffish and at times a bit rude.

Celtic Fawn

Gerry Egan
Unregistered User
(12/20/01 1:25 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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I've been intrested to discover the comments about this place. My wife and I spent one night there several years ago and had a wonderful time. The owner was very nice to us. She asked a lot about where we were from and what we wanted to see in Ireland. She told me quite about about people she knew with my last name. We had a wonderful breakfast with two lady USAF officers on vacation from their posting in Germany. Our room was very clean and quite quaint. My wife and I would go back there again in a heartbeat.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 316
(12/20/01 10:10 pm)

Carrigeen Castle

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Hello Gerry,

Thanks very much for adding your input about Carrigeen Castle. It's very nice to hear that you and your wife enjoyed it and had a good time. Perhaps it will help others who are interested in staying there make a decision. If you have any other comments about any aspect of Ireland we would all enjoy hearing them.

Happy travels,

Michele

mairin
Registered User
Posts: 4
(12/27/01 6:22 pm)

Re: Carrigeen Castle-My Two Punts' Worth

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My husband and I stayed at Carrigeen on our first visit to Ireland in May 2000. I was a little concerned about our accomodations for the trip, because I booked our entire two-week vacation myself based on guidebooks, posting boards like this one, and website information. We started in Shannon, stayed in Ennis a few days, then on to Tipperary and to Cahir (where we stayed at Carrigeen) and then to Wexford and finally to Swords. The idea that a few days in each spot would give us a base of operations to tour the surrounding area. That being said, I booked Carrigeen through goireland.com, like all my other accomodations. Wow. Apparently Ms. Butler no longer is listed with them, and from the conversation we had with her the day we left (she harangued me for ten minutes about how even though she said she'd accept credit cards she only wanted cash for payment because she had to pay goireland.com a fee, etc.)I understand why. As far as the accomodations went, the "castle" was clean, well-kept, and except for the admonishment from the owner not to use too many towels or hot water in the shower, very adequate for the price. Cahir castle was interesting, although we had the most fun standing on the bridge with some town boys who were fishing. Anyway, back to Carrigeen: I understand that asking about your boarders and their plans is normal in Ireland, and I welcome feedback, but when we told her that we were headed to Limerick, she was quite disapproving, telling us that "nothing was there". We explained that we preferred not to go to the touristy places (we skipped Bunratty, Blarney Castle, etc) but she insisted we not go to Limerick. Whew. When we returned that evening, we ran into another couple who was staying there in the "common room" where we were grabbing a cuppa, and he looked at us directly and asked, "Have you seen the warden around anywhere?" Oh, my. I was thankful that we weren't the only ones who felt a little uncomfortable at Carrigeen. Of course, everyone has their own experiences and preferences. For us, however, it just wasn't the place. It was an experience we look back on and laugh about, though!

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 320
(12/27/01 6:52 pm)

Re: Carrigeen Castle

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Hi mairin,

Thanks for your "two punts worth". As I said before the best summary of Carrigeen Castle is "eccentric"! BTW, it will be euros in March.

Michele