Love is in the air and castles seem to be celebrities’ chosen destination to say ‘I do’. Desperate house-wife Eva Longoria and her fiance Tony Parker are following the example of Madonna, Tom Cruise and Sir Paul McCartney, and they will be tying the knot in a castle in France.
These are some of the finest fairy tale castles across Ireland:
LEINSTER:
-Slane Castle, Co. Meath, is more known for being the most famous summer gig venue in the country but it also hosts the most luxurious weddings in the heart of the Boyne Valley.
-Kinnitty Castle in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, has been host of many celebrity weddings inlcuding Sile Seoige, Louis Osborne (Ozzy Osborne’s son) and Def Leppard’s front man Joe Elliot.
-Kilkea Castle in Castledermot, Co. Kildare, is a 12th century building hosting a four star hotel.
MUNSTER:
-Dunloe Castle, Killarney. Hotel Dunloe Castle is a 5 star 110 bedroom property overlooking the famous ‘Gap of Dunloe’ and River Laune in County Kerry. It is set amid 64 acres of parkland with 20 acres of sub-tropical gardens accredited to the ‘Distinguished Gardens of Ireland’ leading to the ruins of the old medieval castle.
-16th century Waterford Castle in the Island, Ballinakill, is a pure dream venue. The castle is located on its own stunning private island. It has a golf course on the grounds and it is recognized as one of the country’s most luxurious hotels.
CONNAUGHT:
-Lough Cutra Castle in Gort, Co. Galway. The history of this estate can be traced back to 866 A.D. The castle is set in the shores of the lake Cutra.
-Ashford Castle in Cong, Co. Mayo. It was built in the 13th century on the shores of Lough Corrib, Ireland’s second largest lake. Ashford opened as a luxury hotel back in 1939 and it was once the estate of the Guinness Family. In 1951, Ashford Castle hosted most of the cast for John Ford’s classic ‘The Quiet Man’.
ULSTER:
-17th century Castle Leslie in Glaslough, Co. Monahan, was the venue chosen by Paul McCartney and Heather Mills for their wedding.
-Crom Castle in Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh. Crom’s wetlands, farm and parkland is one of the largest surviving area of oak woodland in Ireland. Since 1987, 1,900 acres of the estate are being managed by the National Trust, giving the public the opportunity to visit this nature reserve.
ABROAD:
Italy and France are the most popular castle weddings destinations but, if you are thinking about a winter wedding, Prague and some other eastern European cities have amazing castle venues for weddings.
