Spend a few days in the Irish countryside, horseback riding, whiskey tasting, afternoon teas in a castle that once belonged to the Guinness Book of Records. To feel like you’re on the set of «Downton Abbey».
After a 3-hour drive from Dublin on a road with no particular attractions, the entrance bridge of Ashford Castle, flanked by 2 towers, makes its impression, and it does not matter that it is recent! The impression is of entering another world, «Downton Abbey » meets » The Crown «. The castle complex, developed from the original nucleus of 1200 by additions of successive wings, is at the same time imposing, very articulated, but surprisingly harmonious, with its crenellated towers of gray stone, and is even better appreciated during the boat trip on the adjacent Lake Corrib. The garden and the very green forest around it extend for 350 acres, the interiors are warm and in vibrant colors, from the bright red of the hall to the dark green of the labyrinth of corridors. In a triumph of boiseries, giant fireplaces, copies of famous paintings, silk curtains, velvet armchairs, bouquets of flowers, large mirrors with gilded frames, staff in uniform… It is useless to ask what is actually old and what was redone during the 5 years of restoration that preceded the reopening of the hotel under the aegis of the Red Carnation group. What Ashford offers is the lifestyle of the English aristocracy as still seen in «The Crown» : from walking with the dogs , including an exuberant, gigantic Celtic hound, in the woods before breakfast to golf, from clay pigeon shooting to horseback riding to falconry . There are maids with crests and in the room you will find wellies , the traditional rubber boots, in your size.
Dinner is at the George V (in memory of Elizabeth’s grandfather , who had been a guest of the Guinnesses when he was still Prince of Wales) or at the chef’s table at Stanley, in Los Angeles diner style, entrusted to Liam Finnegam, or in a nearby cottage kept in traditional 1950s style, where «The Quiet Man», directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, was filmed. Afternoon Tea , impeccable as Lady Crawley, the character played by Maggie Smith in «Downton Abbey», would have liked, is celebrated in what was one of the Guinnesses’ favourite rooms, the ultra-cozy The Connaught Room. Wine tasting sessions are held in the 16th-century cellars, Irish whiskey sessions in the billiard room, and there is a 32-seat cinema with ultra-comfortable seats in sumptuous red velvet. At the Spa they use the South African brand of oils B Africa for wonderfully relaxing massages, the pool is privatisable and it is worth going there just to see the beautiful mosaic with the tree of life by the artist Jane du Rand
Meet the Makers is a tailor-made programme organised by documentary filmmaker Eoin Warner to take a closer look at some of the traditional aspects of Irish culture, meeting artisans in various locations in County Mayo and the surrounding areas who are dedicated to recovering know-how that in some cases was at risk of disappearing, from those who have managed to reconstruct ancient Gaelich harps to those who make Aran sweaters or dye wool with vegetable dyes to obtain new nuances…
The regret is that with all that there is to do, one does not have enough time to spend in one’s own room, to enjoy the fire in the fireplace, the canopy bed , the Chinese vases, the marble bathroom, the bathtub also protected by the canopy…