Tubbrid Castle is a unique 15th-century tower house, uninhabited for the last century and now restored to its former glory. We've highlighted original features to let you step back in time and added luxury touches so you can indulge your inner prince or princess.
The space
Heritage
In 942 AD, Muircheartach, King of modern-day Ulster, marched his army of 1000 Leather Cloaks south to avenge his allies, who had been attacked by Callaghan, King of Cashel. Muircheartach’s bard, Colmanach, recorded the journey in an epic poem, Circuit of Ireland, in which he praised the beauty of Osraí (now Kilkenny), and the hospitality of its people. At the edge of enemy territory and on the cusp of battle, Muircheartach’s army set up camp in Tubbrid, on a plain that a millennium later is still called Bán an Champa (the Field of the Encampment). The King himself is thought to have slept at the fort where Tubbrid Castle now stands. A thousand years later, the people of Kilkenny still pride ourselves on our warm hospitality and from the top floor bedroom of Tubbrid Castle you can survey Bán an Champa and enjoy lodgings befitting a king.
Luxury
Staying in our authentic Irish tower house doesn’t mean foregoing the finer things in life. Start your day under a powerful rainforest shower or in a deep, bubbly bath. Sip your morning coffee while taking in vistas of forest and field from bespoke velvet cushions in the large original window seats. In the evening you can dine at the grand oak banqueting table before curling up with a book or a board game in front of a roaring log fire. However you choose to spend your day, you can look forward to coming home to spend the night under a goose down duvet in a superking four-poster bed.
Location
Situated just 20 minutes from Kilkenny City and deep in the heart of Ireland's Ancient East, it’s the perfect location from which to explore the most beautiful parts of our vibrant country. Picturesque rural Kilkenny is home to hiking trails of all levels. In Kilkenny City, just a twenty-minute drive away, you can while away a leisurely day exploring its secret cobblestone laneways, impressive cathedrals and magnificent castle, before treating yourself to a pint of the local brew, Smithwicks, or to Michelin-starred cuisine. In an afternoon you can cycle along the banks of the Nore as it meanders through South Kilkenny, to quaint and scenic villages like Inistioge, or visit the workshops of Ireland's foremost craftspeople. If you want to visit a wide array of Ireland’s attractions without the hassle of packing and unpacking your suitcase every second night, Tubbrid Castle is the ideal base. Whichever direction you face, the rich diversity of Irish history and nature is on your doorstep. Dublin is just a ninety-minute drive away. You can take in the Rock of Cashel (30 mins), Kinsale and Cork City (90 mins) in one day, Limerick (90 mins), the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher (2h15) another, and Galway (2h15) and Connemara another.
Guest access
We only take one booking at a time, so you will have the castle to yourselves.
Each bedroom is named for a different important character in the castle's history.
Seomra Sheáin, on the ground floor, is named for my late father, John, who began the restoration work in 2004.
Rí Ailig, on the second floor, is named after Muirchertach, King of Ulster, whose army camped in Tubbrid in 942 AD on their Circuit of Ireland.
Leapa Mhaighread is named for Margaret Butler, 8th Countess of Ormonde. She is said to have erected the tower house and legend holds that she slept at its highest point when she was in residence, to keep her safe from invading enemies. As this bedroom is on a closed timber mezzanine above Rí Ailig, the two rooms are not acoustically private from each other.
Other things to note
Tubbrid Castle is a living, 600-year-old piece of Irish heritage, but it is not a five-star hotel. Central heating was recently turned on in the tower house for the first time in its long life. Over coming years, as the walls cure, they are expected to undergo changes in moisture, which will create alterations in colour and a little dust and condensation.
