historic hotels mayo

Ashford Castle stands a the head of Lough Corrib. You drive in under an impressive gateway, through a manicured nine-hole golf-course, and across an arched bridge over a wide river, into a broad forecourt, where the massive partly 13th-century crenelated castle stretches before you. In the 1800s the castle was rebuilt as a hunting lodge, and it was further extended while in the ownership of the Guinness family. In 1971 it became a hotel mainly for fishermen, but has since been totally refurbi...

The house, with private fisheries on the tidal Newport river, was established by the Mumford-Smiths as a fishing hotel and the Thompsons have continued this tradition, retaining many of the long serving staff. Newport House is now a member of the Relais et Chateaux Association. The house itself is very interesting. Built on a far older site, up on the river bank, a pretty 1720s bow-fronted mansion has been encased in a later extremely grand edifice. The sitting room, with chandelier and fin...