Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle

 

Location: Abbey Str, Ashfort Map

Constructed:  1228 by Burgo family

 

Medieval Ashford Castle stands on Abbey Str, Ashfort in Ireland. Ashford Castle was erected in 1228 by Burgo family. Ashford Castle was built on the site of an ancient Irish monastery in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman feudal lord Burke. The feudal lords of Burke bore the surname de Burgos in ancient times. The feudal lords of Burke have owned Ashford Castle for over 300 years. But then a feud arose between Birko and the English feudal lord Sir Richard Bingham, which had the title of Lord Connaught. A fierce battle took place between the troops of these feudal lords, and ended with a truce. In 1589, the castle went to Richard Bingham, which strengthened the castle with additional fortifications and walls.

Dominic Brown of the Brown Clan - Baron Oranmore received Ashford Castle as a gift from the king in 1670 or in 1678. In 1715, Ashford Castle was rebuilt by the Brown Clan, a hunting lodge in the style of 17th-century French castles was built. The double-headed eagles on the roofs are preserved - the coat of arms of the Brown clan.

At the end of the 18th century, one of the branches of the Brown clan inhabited this castle. At the beginning of the 19th century, Thomas Elwood was a castle castel in the service of the Brown clan and lived in this castle. This is known from the records of 1814.

In 1852, Benjamin Lee Guinness bought the castle and estate. He completed two large Victorian-style annexes, expanded the estate to 26,000 acres, built new hearse trees, planted thousands of trees. The castle is mentioned in the book of Sir William Wald on the County of Galway. After the death of Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1868, the castle and the manor passed to his son, Lord Ardilown, who expanded the castle by attaching buildings in the Neo-Gothic style.

The castle and the estate were inherited by Ardilown's nephew Ernest Guinness. He presented the castle to the Irish government in 1939. Noel Guggard turned the castle into a luxury hotel. The hotel was popular with fans of fishing and hunting. Noel Guggart's parents have worked in the hotel business since 1910. His granddaughters - Louise and Paula own the hotel to this day.

 

In 1951, the movie "The Quiet Man" was shot at Ashford Castle with actors John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in the lead roles. In recent years, the castle has been used for various films and series on the theme of the Middle Ages.

In 1970, the castle was bought by John Malkakhi, he completely restored the castle, expanded, built golf courses, new sites and built new gardens. In 1985, a group of Irish American investors became interested in the castle. The castle was sold by investors in 2007 for 50 million euros based on real estate investor Garry Barrett. Until the loans were paid, the hotel is managed by the National Asset Agency of Ireland, the hotel was funded by the Bank of Scotland (Ireland). The hotel is an operating company of the Tifco Hotel Group. In September 2012, he was recognized as the best resort in Ireland and the third best hotel in Europe according to the Conde Nast Travel.

In October 2012, the hotel was put up for sale and was valued at around 25 million euros. The hotel currently has 83 bedrooms, six of which are suites. Barrett's plan was to add another 13 penthouses and 30 lodges, but it was not implemented. In May 2013, the hotel was bought by Krasnaya Gvozdika Hotel Group, which owns several other hotels worth 20 million euros. The new owner plans to overhaul and sell, while maintaining jobs. At the moment, Ashford Castle as a hotel is constantly profitable.