Ireland’s Glin Castle [Where to Stay]

What do Ireland, the television show The Wire, and real estate have in common? The beautiful 18th century built Glin Castle.

In the village of Glin by the Shannon River, the Glin Castle has been owned by the FitzGerald family for roughly 700 years. In 2015, this wealthy Irish family chose to put it on the market, hoping a new owner would care for the property as the original owners had. Although the structure is known as a castle, the home is more of a Georgian-style mansion, perfect for someone willing to take on an old, beautiful piece of architecture. Unfortunately, the high price and unwanted offers deterred the FitzGerald family from finding a suitable buyer. As a result, the property was taken off the market in March 2017.

With the help of Catherine FitzGerald and her husband, actor Dominic West of The Wire and The Affair, Glin Castle has been transformed into a luxury bed and breakfast aimed at A-list guests. As a result, the castle has housed many famous guests, including Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones.

Desmond and Olda FitzGerald, Knight and Madam of Glin live in the house full-time. To be exact, Desmond is the last in a long line of Knights of Glin, the 29th Knight of Glin. The couple resides in the servant quarters, apart from the Castle guests.

Aside from the beautiful interior of 15 bedrooms (and a room that is said to be haunted), guests have access to exquisite grounds and gardens. In Stella Scott’s video below, family members discuss the history and beauty of the castle gardens in particular.