Karen is a very accommodating hostess. She really went out of her way to help us. My kids loved being able to pet and feed the horses and hold a three week old puppy. The castle grounds and the location along the river are beautiful.
The castle itself is quite unique. It’s full of history and is really unlike anything I’ve seen – and certainly no place that I’ve stayed overnight before. The beds were comfortable, but there are a few things that could use some updating – some carpets are a bit worn in places, and having carpeting in the bathrooms isn’t a great idea. The smell of old wood/peat smoke permeates the building. As some people have mentioned before, the unseen uncle living on the second floor is a bit odd, but he never bothered us.
Overall, Kilcolgan Castle is a unique place to stay run by someone who cares. It is not an updated five star hotel like Ashford Castle - but it is also much quieter and less expensive. If you want to live a real, old castle for a few days (that really feels like an old castle), this is it.