Ballindooley Castle

I was looking for a unique stay in Ireland. Wow, did I find it! We loved the history of the place. It takes you back in time, but with modern amenities. I can’t stop talking about how amazing our two nights stay was. I would highly recommend just staying in one night and ordering food so you can eat in the grand dining hall. It was absolutely worth the price of admission! We stayed there with our three teenage boys and everyone loved it.

The only negative were the stinging nettle plants in the yard. One of our boys unfortunately encountered them when trying to retrieve a lacrosse ball

Loved the history of the castle.

It was dirty. Cobwebs everywhere. I understand it’s old that’s not the issue, just clean would have been nice. For the price lots of stuff didn’t work.

​ The stay at Ballinduley Castle was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you want to see your children as excited and happy as they would be at a theme park, this is the perfect place to stay. They absolutely loved exploring every corner of the castle. For the adults, it was equally magical. Walking through the historic rooms and grounds, imagining the lives of the people who once called this castle home, made the experience unforgettable. The accommodations remain true to the castle’s historic character while still providing the comfort and amenities needed for a pleasant stay. You can visit many castles throughout Ireland, but nothing compares to actually living in one. This was, without question, one of the highlights of our trip, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and memorable Irish experience.

It is a real castle and lovingly furnished to maintain that feel.

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This was a highlight of our trip! You have the whole castle to yourself! The owner gave an amazing video tour when we first arrived with loads of interesting history and information! This stay requires being able to go up and down steep authentic castle stairs. And you will need to look past the spiderwebs. After all, it is a real stone castle! There were seven of us, and I’m sure we will be talking about this for many years to come! Also… We ordered Papa John’s pizza and had it delivered to the castle! And then play some cards. So memorable and exciting! And just a few minutes from the main shopping areas in Galway. We would definitely stay here again!

Staying in a genuine 16th century tower castle was a once in a lifetime experience. We appreciated the tour given by the host explaining the history and the secrets of the castle. The renovations to the castle added the modern amenities that made our stay comfortable but did not distract from the authentic experience.

Four of us stayed in the castle, we had to use the hot water judiciously. While we were comfortable, some of the surfaces could have been cleaner. That being said, because it is a large castle, it is not going to be 5-star hotel clean.

I loved the experience even though some of it was uncomfortable! It should be uncomfortable. It's the real deal - fairly cold before the radiators warm the rooms and a few cobwebs. We were there in mid-March. It's probably great in the summer. It is so easy to imagine living here in the late 1400s. We spent a few hours exploring all over the castle since we had the whole place to ourselves! The host allowed early entrance - maybe because it was St. Patrick's Day. He gave us a video tour on Whatsapp.

It is on a main road, so traffic at night took away the magical notion we were in a different time and space.

Such a unique stay! was definitely a highlight of the trip. The host gave us a guided tour around the castle and its history. Would recommend to a friend :)

Complete Castle experience in the beautiful West of Ireland 🇮🇪 ❤️

The location was wonderfully rural while close to Galway for conveniences and entertainment.

Loved the whole experience.

Loved every bit of this truly unique experience, made great by a very attentive host

Not too much to say here, it's a castle so you don't expect modern trimmings

Unique experience. Barry's virtual welcome and passion for the history and the property.

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Barry gave us a tour when we arrived. The tour was interesting and informative. He even had us go on the roof. He made us feel comfortable to contact him with any questions. Such a unique experience! We really enjoyed our time there. It was amazing.

Castles are cold in December. They had electric heaters and warm comforters. We knew a Castle was not like staying in a hotel.

We had a wonderful stay in the Ballindooley castle. Barry, the host, gave us a tour and explained everything we needed to know to be comfortable upon arrival. This is an authentic experience, be prepared for chilly spots, howling winds when the weather kicks up, and some dust, hey, it's a real castle! The location is great, only a short cab ride to all the fun stuff in Galway. It is likely that my ancestors, the Burke's, lived here, wow! I can only imagine what it must have been like without all the conveniences we had like running water, toilets, and electricity! Be aware that the room with the double bed is on the top floor, on a balcony overlooking the dining room, up some really narrow spiral steps. If you have mobility challenges or are afraid of heights, this is not the bedroom for you! Overall, this was a fun experience, something you will want to share with your friends and family.

The beds in the twin room were a bit "tired" and no so comfortable. A coupe of us had an exhilarating cold shower in the morning! Be aware of the blind corner going out onto the main road!

Absolutely surreal to be able to step inside and actual spend the night in a castle! Such a gorgeous spot with stunning views and a cozy inside! The host was super friendly, gave us a tour around the castle, pointing out all the historical elements and designs of the castle, and was easy to reach and contact if we had any queries. Made for a truly magical night!

Not really an issue at all, the stairs just took a bit of getting used to haha!

Amazing opportunity to stay in a historical house. Our castle stay topped off our family vacation to the UK and Ireland.

The property was fantastic. Finding a taxi out of town during a rain storm was a bit problematic but no fault of the owners.

Le château et son ambiance. Facilité pour se garer. Contact facile avec Barry

Ein atemberaubender Burgturm, mit viel "Attention to detail" eingerichtet. So war es wirklich ein besonderes Erlebnis. Der Eigentümer gibt einem auch gerne eine guded tour, in unserem Fall über whatsapp. Günstig gelegen, sowohl für die Fahrt nach Galway rein, als auch in Richtung der Sehenswürdigkeiten.

In Anbetracht der ca. 100 ungleich hohen und breiten/schmalen Stufen nicht geeignet bei Bewegungseinschränkungen. Sauberkeit sollte nicht ganz oben auf der eigenen Prioritätsskala stehen und im unteren Schlafzimmer ist der Verkehr trotz der 2m dicken Mauern gut zu hören.

It was a great pleasure staying for a week in this medieval tower house, running up and down the spiral staircases, peaking down the murder holes, dining in the banquet room and relaxing in the dark, but very cosy living space. In the evenings we watched the sun set from the roof terrace, and in the mornings we sent the kids out to play on the large lawn in front of the tower. The owner was very communicative and friendly. Upon arrival he even gave us a brief history of this indeed very special place.

The bedroom on the ground floor is rather damp, but this is a building from 16th century.

Genuine castle

Clothes dryer took forever to dry!

It’s a real, very cool castle with significant upgrades for 21st century living. The owner virtually walked us through and gave us lots of historical information. He was also very communicative and flexible.

Nothing. It is not staying at a hotel, it is an old stone castle so one needs to be prepared for that.

This was a very unique, fun experience if you have ever dreamed of staying in your own castle. Our host provided a great overview of the history and features of the castle upon check-in, and it did have modern conveniences to make our stay quite comfortable. Location was very close/convenient to Galway, but in a peaceful countryside setting.

While this would be a great property for a family, especially with kids, I would not recommend for older guest with mobility issues. The stairs are quite narrow and there’s a lot of of them! But for folks with a sense of adventure, I’d highly recommend giving this place a try.

Staying here was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience! I appreciated that it had all the modern conveniences yet still felt like the castle it was. Barry, the owner, was so kind and easy to communicate with.

This property is truly unique. 76 stairs up to the top headroom. You won’t get a large suitcase up there. But if you’re up for an adventure it is a real castle. Nicely upgraded bathrooms. We decided not to let the little ones even visit - just a bit too dangerous.

It is an amazing experience. Hands down. You’re literally in a castle to yourselves. I couldn’t recommend the experience more. It was freezing cold the first night, and my only recommendation to the property would be to warm up the place before guests arrive. Not an easy task with a 500+ year old castle, but it all would have been perfect if we walked into a warmer setting.

Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the castle's history. He shared fascinating stories and anecdotes that brought the past to life, giving us a great, fun and informative phone tour of the castle. The castle's architecture is breathtaking, with intricate details and stunning views of the grounds and nearby lake. We got the whole castle for ourselves, and there's multiple rooms and beds to accommodate your whole group. I can tell a lot of effort and thought have been put into the making of this renovated castle. This is the perfect place for a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a special occasion. We highly recommend this unique accommodation to anyone seeking a truly unique experience.

Barry has a stunning space, but it could definitely use a deep cleaning. There's unnecessary old clutter in some rooms, and dust everywhere. My mom and I spend a few hours cleaning as much as we could in the kitchen, living room and bathrooms, but we didn't want to spend our vacation cleaning a place that should've been cleaned for us already. The fireplace needs to be cleaned urgently too. Just a heads up, every room has its own floor, keep this in mind if you have mobility issues, my mother-in-law was not able to go anywhere but the first floor.

the pictures do it no justice great place to stay, not to far from Galway city and the host is brilliant.

We stayed at Ballindooley Castle in August of 2024. It was amazing. The castle is one of those one-in-a-lifetime opportunities, unique experience overall. The amount of space you get is huge, first of all. Also, the home was well-appointed with everything you could possibly need to live like royalty. Barry was a very responsive host. All rooms were as described. You can even get to the roof of the tower which has spectacular views. There is also a good amount of outdoor space, including a picnic table.

My only small gripe is that there were cobwebs and spiders in some of the nooks and crannies. Also if anyone in your group has mobility issues you will not be able to stay here. There are lots of steep staircases.

The castle was amazing. We were a little worried because of the pictures and how much room there was we might be sharing some of the common areas. Nope, entire castle to ourselves. It was a unique experience and very happy we chose to stay here.

Who doesn’t love a castle!!? Very unique opportunity.

Prepare to be a little chilly but hey, it’s a castle!