Ashford Castle Celebrates 70th Anniversary as Luxury Hotel

  • February 11, 2009
Ashford Castle Celebrates 70th Anniversary as Luxury Hotel
Kicking off the festivities is a new Ashford 70 package that includes a complimentary third night when guests book two nights for €700 (approximately $893), subject to availability from now through December 22, 2009. Breakfast for two each morning and an upgrade to a Deluxe room are also included, not to mention unlimited warm Irish welcomes and views of the estate's lake and river that are worth the trip alone.

For some extra fun, guests born in 1939 when Ashford Castle opened, two guests with a combined age of 70 or couples celebrating a 70th wedding anniversary will receive a welcome bottle of champagne to toast the special occasion.

The sprawling Ashford Castle, located in the beautiful west country of Ireland near Galway City, dates back to 1228 when monks set an evolving building process in motion. Ashford Castle later became a summer home of the Guinness family until it opened as a hotel just before the start of World War II. Ever since, guests have delighted in rooms tucked away in turrets, two restaurants and a range of country sports including falconry, horseback riding, golf and clay pigeon shooting.

A dollar exchange rate, better than it has been for years, makes 2009 an auspicious start to Ashford Castle's next seven decades and a perfect time to visit Ireland. Other Ashford 70 celebrations will unfold as the year progresses.

Ashford Castle is set on 350 acres in County Mayo, on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, with a spectacular backdrop of woodlands, lake, river, and mountains. It features 83 guestrooms and is renowned for a range of country sports including an equestrian center, fly fishing, an exclusive nine-hole golf course and Ireland's first school of falconry. Several dining rooms and bars, along with a gracious afternoon tea service are among the amenities.