They say a person's home is their castle, and why should that be any different on a trip? If you're traveling to the Galway region with a group of any size, I would highly recommend staying with Alan in Cregg Castle. It's about a 15-20 minute drive into the city, but if you have a rental car and like history, this castle is amazing! The grounds themselves are gorgeous, and you could easily spend a day or more exploring the 100+ acres of Cregg Castle's property. There is a shop about 2 km down the road from the castle for groceries or whatever else you may need, and it's an easy jaunt into the city for sightseeing or exploring.
The one "negative" is that since it's an old castle, it gets drafty at night, and can be a bit chilly. Alan supplies electric blankets for the beds, and space heaters for the room though, so it stays plenty comfortable to sleep in.
As Alan mentioned in the description of the Castle, it is a work in progress restoration, so some rooms of the castle are unfinished. This doesn't detract from the guest experience though, as the rooms we used were all fully furnished and restored. Keep it in mind if you think that would bother you.
If we are ever back in the area, we would be happy to stay with Alan in Cregg Castle again!