Which medieval castle has been turned into a world-class luxury hotel in Ireland on the Mayo-Galway border?

Ashford Castle is a medieval and Victorian castle in Ireland that has been expanded over the centuries and turned into a world-class luxury hotel near Cong on the Mayo-Galway border, on the Galway side of Lough Corrib in Ireland. It is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World Organization.

Ashford Castle was built in the 12th century by the Anglo Norman family, the De Burgo’s. Following generations added and expanded the castle and in 1715 the Oranmore and Browne family founded the Ashford Estate.

Over a hundred years later in 1852 Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness purchased the Ashford Estate. His son Lord Ardilaun inherited Ashford in 1868 and is responsible for the numerous woodland areas on the estate. On his death in 1915, the Ashford Estate went to the Iveagh Trust.

It was purchased in 1939 by Noel Huggard and converted into a hotel. 1970 saw the hotel sold to John Mulcahy who further developed the castle. A consortium of investors purchased it in 1985. A mixture of past and present, the castle now has lofty paneled ceilings, knights in armour, battlements, crystal chandeliers, and paintings to make it a great luxury hotel. The hotel’s parkland covers 300 and 50 acres where activities such as golf, falconry, tennis, archery, shooting, horseback riding, and fishing occur.

The castle has had a long list of famous and distinguished guests; it was used as the residence for actors who starred in the 1951 film “The Quiet Man”. The estate grounds were used in scenes.