There are certain places I never get tired of driving guests to, and The Lodge at Ashford Castle is right at the top of that list. If you’re planning a few days away in the west of Ireland and want somewhere that feels genuinely special without the stiffness of a full-blown castle stay, this is the one I keep coming back to when people ask me where they should base themselves.

I pulled up outside The Lodge again recently with the V-Class, and it struck me all over again why I love bringing guests here. The building itself is a picture before you’ve even gone through the door — cream Georgian frontage, stone urns either side of the entrance, and at this time of year the beds of deep red begonias along the driveway are in full bloom. It’s the kind of arrival that sets the tone for the whole stay.

Why The Lodge, and not the Castle itself

Most people know Ashford Castle by reputation — the turrets, the history, the sheer scale of the place on the shores of Lough Corrib. The Lodge is its quieter, more relaxed sister property, just a short stroll away within the same estate. You still get access to the grounds, the walking trails, the falconry school and the lake, but The Lodge itself has a warmer, more residential feel. It suits couples wanting a few slow days, families who don’t want to tiptoe around a grand hotel, and golfers who want to be close to the course without the formality.

There’s a lovely terrace out the back where guests sit for coffee or a glass of wine in the evening, looking out over manicured lawns towards the water. I’ve dropped guests here in the afternoon and picked them up two or three days later looking like they’d had a full reset.

What a few days here actually looks like

If you’re staying three or four nights, I’d never suggest sitting still the whole time — Cong and the surrounding countryside give you far too much to see. What I usually put together for guests based at The Lodge looks something like this:

Day one — settle in. After the transfer from Dublin, Shannon or Knock, there’s no need to rush anywhere. I’ll often suggest a walk around the estate itself first: the ruins of the old abbey in Cong village, the river walk, and if the timing works, an early dinner in the village before an easy night.

Day two — Connemara. This is where having a private driver rather than a coach really pays off. We can head out through Maam Cross and Recess, stop wherever the light is good, take the detour to Kylemore Abbey and its walled Victorian garden, and still be back at The Lodge in time for dinner. On a coach tour you’re locked into a schedule and a car park timetable. In the V-Class, if you want another twenty minutes at the lake, you get it.

Day three — the estate and the lake. Ashford Castle’s grounds offer more than most guests realise — falconry, archery, a boat trip out on Lough Corrib if the weather allows, or simply a long walk through the woodland trails. For golfers, the course at Ashford is one of the more scenic parcours you’ll play in Ireland, and I’m always happy to build a tee time into the itinerary or run a golf-focused day trip further afield.

Day four — onward, at your own pace. Whether that’s a transfer back to the airport or on to the next stop on a longer Ireland itinerary, we work it around your flight or your plans rather than a fixed departure board.

The bit that actually makes the difference

I say this in nearly every post I write, but it holds true here more than most places: the difference between a private chauffeur tour and a coach tour isn’t really about comfort, though the V-Class certainly delivers that with six leather seats and proper space for luggage. It’s about pace. Nobody staying at The Lodge wants to be back on a bus by 4pm because forty other people are waiting. You want to linger over the walled garden at Kylemore, take the long way back along the lake road, or decide on the morning that you’d rather stay on the estate than head out at all. That kind of flexibility is very hard to get any other way, and it’s the whole reason Setanta exists.

Getting there

The Lodge sits in Cong, County Mayo, close to the Galway border, which makes it a comfortable transfer from any of the main airports — Shannon is roughly ninety minutes away, Dublin closer to three hours depending on traffic, and Knock is nearest of all if you’re flying into the west directly. I collect guests at arrivals, load the luggage, and from there it’s door to door with no changeovers, no waiting for a shuttle, and no lugging bags across a car park.

A few practical notes

If you’re building this into a longer trip, The Lodge pairs beautifully with a few nights in Galway city beforehand or a run down through the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher afterwards — both easy additions to a west of Ireland itinerary with a private driver, since you’re not tied to fixed pickup points along the way. Golfers often extend the stay with a round or two nearby before heading on to Lahinch or further along the coast.

If you’re weighing up where to stay for a few days in the west of Ireland, I’d put The Lodge at Ashford Castle near the top of the list without hesitation. It has the setting, the pace, and just enough grandeur next door at the Castle to dip into when you fancy it — without ever feeling like you have to dress for dinner every night. Get in touch and I’ll put together an itinerary around it.

You can contact Paul for more information or your travel plans to Ireland 2027 info@setantachauffeurtours.com or cell WhatsApp +353863409894 🇮🇪