Highlight of our trip to Ireland
by TripAdvisor Member RedondoJim
My wife and I stayed at Ballyseede Castle with our 5-year old daughter for two nights and had a wonderful time. The hotel is a bit pricey for Ireland lodgings but well worth the money for the experience. Our room was very large, we had a great dinner and breakfasts in the hotel's dining room, and enjoyed cocktails in the library/bar and lounging in the elegant areas downstairs. Our daughter had a fun time and liked playing with the dog who lived on the grounds. We thought the service was generally excellent and the manager helped us book a hotel for our final night in Dublin. This is a good location in Western Ireland to base from for day trips to Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula and Bunratty Folk Park.
my girlfriend wanted to stay in a Castle....
by TripAdvisor Member spursphil
We get to the 'castle' big wedding, my girlfriend was in shock, but when the dinner started they did disappear, just like the owner said. Our room was dirty, there were dead flies trapped in the windows and the smell of fly spray was sickening ... the flies couldn't get out but we did. More shock. They said they were very sorry and put us in a brand new room in the basement, it was a beautiful room, but you have to pass very foul smelling bathrooms to get there. They should update the rest of the rooms as soon as possible. The staff was excellent, and the owner very nice. My girlfriend was so excited to stay in a castle, it was the highlight of the trip for her ..... but it was a disappointment. Breakfast was great, and it is a beautiful place ( depends on your princess) I would suggest asking if there is any weddings booked for the night of your stay.
Hauntingly Good!!
by TripAdvisor Member K8top
Driving up to the castle it looked spectacular and wonderful. My room was in the basement the Osbourne room and it was lovely. Unfortunately, I think Hilda did not like me staying in the room and I had to move to another room. The room I move to I called "Cinderella's" room. I think Hilda followed me to that room also...odd things. I, however, just put on my earphones and turned up my iPOD and went to sleep. The next day I was moved into an even more beautiful room. The castle owner was great and she had the most interesting story about the dog. In spite of moving rooms twice I would stay again.
A real Gem in Ireland
by TripAdvisor Member RCnewyork
We had the pleasure of staying here May 2007. I was nervous, because of dicey reviews, but we had just came from Waterford Castle and didn't find a huge difference. We were welcomed by Marnie and the Great Irish Wolf hound Arthur and found the castle, dining experience(the shrimp and lamb I definatly recommend) and our room amazing. I would highly suggest staying here.
We also had a problem on the ring of Kerry dealing with lost property and passports and Marnie worked tirelessly through the night to get us back to the American consulate in Dublin on an early morning flight from Kerry and spoke with our insurance companies and travel agents, basically making a big problem a little problem with her efficiency.
The view from our room was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Pastoral hills with cows and flowers dotted among the beautiful Irish Greenery.
We owe great thanks to the staff
by TripAdvisor Member teethlaw
We attended a wedding at Ballyseede and had a wonderful experience. Although the castle wasn't exactly what we had envisioned (a bit smaller, without tall towers, etc), both it and the grounds are being improved. The modernized rooms were large and had wonderful bathrooms. Being near Tralee made it a relatively short trip to the Dingle peninsula which was an incredible drive. Breakfast was always wonderful, and the food at the wedding was first rate. But when one in our party was injured, it was the staff that really came together to help us as much as they could, while still pulling off the entire wedding and reception. They definitely went above and beyond and we thank them for it.
If you want to tour a castle with towers and a dungeon, I'd say visit Bunratty (whihch we also did--and recommend the Medieval Banquet), but if you want to spend the night in one, look up Ballyseede and enjoy your stay!
A very pleasant place
by TripAdvisor Member DeMilo
We spent two nights here during our 10 day trip to Ireland. This was most definitely my 14 y.o. son's favorite place, and was at least tied for first for myself and my husband. Even though it's called a castle, it's really more like a large manor house in the style of a castle. This was actually a good thing as it really felt more comfortable and welcoming than a traditional castle might.
Check in was quick and pleasant and we were escorted to our family room, which was huge, with two queen size beds. My son's favorite thing about Ballyseede was Arthur, the giant Irish Wolfhound that is a fixture lying in front of the fireplace. Arthur is a very intimidating looking, but entirely sweet and gentle dog.
A highlight for my husband and I was Peter the bartender. Very helpful and entertaining. We really liked the bar area in general. We had dessert and other snacks there both nights. It was very nice to have a place on site where you could just hang out and grab a bite and a couple of drinks. It was also kid friendly as our son was able to sit at the bar with us and have his dessert. While at the bar, we heard one group asking if there was availability for the following night. They had only booked one night but were having such a good time that they wanted to stay an extra day.
Overall, I thought it was a very nice, comfortable place. It's not fancy or uptight and the staff was friendly and helpful. If you want a fancy castle experience then this is not the place for you, but if you want a relaxed, enjoyable place, then definitely book here.
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