September 2011 - Irish American News

September 2011 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” 7I’ve always dreamed about staying overnightat a real castle. I’m not talking about a fictitious“magical kingdom-type” castle, but a real castlewith a rich history and a real story behind it. Mylifelong dream came true this June when we visitedAshford Castle on the Emerald Isle. Built in1228 and the former estate of the legendary Guinnessfamily (brewers of my favorite stout), it waseverything I could have imagined. Well, sort of,I didn’t arrive on a white horse with a prince, butI did arrive in a white rental car loaded with twokids, a husband and lots of snacks. But I digress…back to that dream I was mentioning.A few months ago, I flew to Dublin and threehours later was transformed as my white horse, Imean white rental car, entered the former Guinnessfamily private estate of the legendary castle inCounty Mayo. We drove through the picturesqueterrain along a winding Irish road, the groundsspeckled with pure lavender Irish heather. (Justfor the record, I have always wanted to use thatline.) We crossed over the drawbridge leading overthe moat and then, there it was… the majestic,breathtaking 13th century Irish castle, my oasis,my castle in the hills, my dream! At that exactmoment, when time stood still, my sister and herfamily, who were also traveling with us, pulled upalongside. My sister and I both locked eyes andshared a moment of pure astonishment. This wasgoing to be the best two-night get away ever!Oops! Right. We brought the kids. Now what?At first, I was concerned that Ashford might beone of those castlesbuilt mainlyfor adults… youknow, high teasand three-hourdinners, but Iquickly realizedthere was somethingfor everybodyhere. Thankgoodness! With kids in tow, there was no turningback. Plus, we did have husbands to watch the kidswhile we experienced the, ummm, MANDATORYhigh tea, spa and a bit of relaxation time. (P.S.Please do not divulge this to ourhusbands, as we have convincedthem that this is part of the Irishexperience).After driving from Dublin, itwas time to go inside and checkout the castle. As we unloadedour luggage and tried to tidy upthe crayons and potato crisps thatwere overflowing in the back seat,my daughter pulled on my jacketand asked me the simple question,“Where’s the pool?”“What?” I thought, “We are ata historic 13th century castle inIreland! Why would you want togo swimming? There is so muchto do here!”My youngest insisted onputting on her bathing suit andsearching for the pool. I let her putit on under her clothes and off wewent in search of it. Quickly, weboth learned, there was no need forpool with so many activities. Bythe time we checked into our room,played hide and seek, pretended toA Castle Fit for a Queen… and a Family TooColleen Kelly and family at Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo, Irelandbe princesses, and explored themysteries of the castle, she hadlong forgotten all about the pool.Although, I must admit, I did let her take a bathwith her bathing suit on. As you know, when youhave a 6 and 9-year-old, getting them in the bathis half the battle! It turned out to be a win-win.Luckily, for us, there was more for a family to dothan we had ever imagined.Our days started with a full Irish breakfast(and I mean FULL with bangers, mash and blackpudding) and plenty of activities for everyone.There was hiking, horseback riding, exploringthe castle’s mystical forest grounds, as well aslooking for the occasional leprechaun. The girlswere happily exhausted by the end of each day.To my complete surprise, Ashford was incrediblyfamily-friendly, and yet also caters to coupleslooking for a romantic get-away. That’s the beautyof a castle. It is so grand and spacious, plus thewalls are THICK in a castle, perfect for familiesand anyone else looking for some fun or a littlepeace and quiet.Speaking of quiet, the five-star spa at Ashfordshould not be missed! My sister and I managedto sneak away on one of the days. We were able tocompletely unwind and be ready for dinner withour families at Cullen’s Restaurant, the authenticlookingthatched roof cottage located right on thegrounds. For couples or groups, there is also thefamous George V restaurant, well known for theirexquisite cuisine. Again, all part of the mandatoryexperience, remember? Wink. Wink. Don’tworry, our husbands managed to find time fortheir activities as well. Each day they found timeto fish Irish salmon and met an instructor to learnhow to properly shoot clay pigeons, followed bya nightly tradition of a pint or two of Guinness inthe drawing room. All was well. (Note to golfers:golf is included in the overnight package. Makesure to make reservations in advance.) All in all,Ashford is magical at every age!I have never been to heaven, at least I don’tthink I have; but the Ashford Castle experiencewas a little piece of heaven right in the heart ofCounty Mayo. Who knew? If you are traveling toIreland, make sure to leave a little time to enjoyAshford Castle for yourself. Whether you arrive ona white horse or in a snack-filled white rental car,the whole family will enjoy it and hopefully, willcreate memories that will last a lifetime.If you are traveling to Ireland this fall and are aHarry Potter fanatic, be sure to check out the 2ndannual “Hogwarts Halloween” event at AshfordCastle taking place October 28th-November 6th.Packages include Harry Potter-themed dinnerevents and many mystical activities that come tolife in an authentic castle.For more information regarding any specialrates or packages offered by Ashford Castle, visitwww.ashford.ie.Colleen Kelly can be reached through TravelFilm Productions by email at info@travelfilmproductions.com.(Please reference Irish AmericanNews).