Belleek Castle

I wanted to stay at a castle, it’s what you do in Ireland! So we found one in County Mayo called Belleek tucked away in a forest. Constructed in a neo-gothic style in 1825, it was not a real medieval castle, but it was pretty spectacular.

We walked into a vaulted ceiling reception to be greeted by a young Irish gnome. She went through the usual palaver of checking us in and providing our keys. Then she asked if we would like the 8.30 or the 9.30 breakfast. Anne asked her what was in the HRT breakfast. Needless to say, we had breakfast at 9.30.

We didn’t quite have a banquet in the evening, but it was close. Our meat arrived on a three-foot sword and the waitress poured flaming whiskey over it, taking great care not to singe her eyebrows (or ours!). Said meat was deposited on our plates ready to be devoured.

Only one night in the castle, just as well really, the four-poster bed was fun but very small.

In the morning we stopped at Patrick’s Head on the way to Mulranny, more in the next post!

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