The next few days flew by quickly as we moved further north …from castle to castle staying at 3 of the most beautiful. We decided to try and visit Ashford castle/hotels (way over our budget) but on the way to our next overnight lodging. When we pulled up to the gate, we were met by a little Irish guy who informed us that the castle was only open to guests. I guess our disappointed looks, or my well known luck, convinced him to let us drive onto the grounds and have tea across from the castle, so we could get some photos of it. He did warn us, that we could not cross the bridge over to the actual castle hotel, so we obeyed. Maybe in a future life we might be able to stay there, but the good news is we got some photos of the castle and the beautiful grounds.

I think we all agree that Kilronan Castle, our next 2 night stay, was our overall favorite of the trip.… which might’ve been because their spa was absolutely amazing. The castle sits in the middle of 40 acres of woods on the shore of Lough Meelagh. Originally built in the 1700s and remodeled in 1829, now serves as a luxury hotel…a well deserved title.

Moving on to Belfast, we checked in to the Culloden estate, originally built as an official palace for the Bishops of Down. It sits on 12 acres of beautiful secluded gardens and woodland. It’s full of fine antiques and you’re treated like royalty. The primary purpose of going to Belfast was to go to the Titanic Museum, which I’ve always felt was extremely well done. Unfortunately, we arrived the same day as three cruise ships… therefore, it was extremely crowded and made our visit less enjoyable. Since I’d been there prior, I was able to realize how the crowded atmosphere detracted from the museum itself. I would recommend to anyone going in the future to pick a day when there are NOT alot of cruise ships in dock.

Next stop was to head down to the Cathedral district of Belfast and take in a few pubs. Hidden down a cobbled alley marked with hanging umbrellas, we found the famous Duke of York pub. Here’s where people gather to pay homage to Belfast’s industrial past and centuries-old newspaper trade. Art students, old hacks and media types come together to enjoy great live music and retro disco tunes. To say it was crowded, is a definite understatement. We worked our way inside the bar, as it was raining outside, but quickly realized it would be almost impossible to get a seat or grab a drink. I guess you could say “we were there” but not our type of pub.

Heading to Dublin (last stop) tomorrow.