Karen's (Kilcolgan) castle lived up to our expectations on all fronts. The castle felt authentic, you could feel the history, while still remaining relatively comfortable with essential amenities of present day. The setting was unreal, the water to the north/west combined with the setting sun made for a unique experience. During the sunset friendly horses roamed near enough (separated by a knee-wall) to pet. This experience was icing on an already excellent cake.
Karen was friendly and eager to talk about the castle and it's history while not intruding on our stay. The drawing room and TV room were a bit cool and drafty, but if anything that added to the castle atmosphere. The castle is a removed from major urban areas (From Galway to the castle took us about 30 minutes drive), however just a mile or two away are a restaurant (Moran's, where Karen was thoughtful enough to make us a reservation) and a coffee shop.
All things told this was an outstanding experience, and a beautifully secluded finish to our busy travel schedule. While the price is higher than your typical B&B, with the experience we got out of this I'd call it a bargain. Cheers to Karen and her castle.