Romantic Nights in a Knight's Castle

Photos and article by Eleanor S. Morris

With its crenelated battlements and looming towers, Ireland's Glin Castle appears to be made of the stuff of dreams. In lilting County Limerick above the River Shannon, the castle lifts the ideal of a bed and breakfast inn well above the commonplace.

Turning the ancestral home into a bed and breakfast came surprisingly easy to the present Knight of Glin, Desmond Fitz-Gerald, and his lady, Olda, who moved here from London with their two children more than 20 years ago. Aside from economic reasons, both say that seeing the large house full of people is wonderful. And enjoying the luxury of two excellent chefs is an added attraction, one they might have to forgo were it not for the paying guests.

Belying its crenelations and towers, the castle is more an enlarged and fancified mansion than an authentic castle. The original fortress, now a gaping ruin beyond the castle gates, was destroyed in 1600. The present building, built in 1780 by the 24th Knight of Glin, Colonel John Bateman Fitz-Gerald, was enhanced in the 1820s by his son, John Fraunceis, who was known as the "Knight of the Women," due to his amorous pastimes. It was he who added the crenelated battlements and the looming towers.

But nevermind--parts of the interior have remained untouched for more than 200 years, and the castle is the seat of the Knights of Glin. Desmond Fitz-Gerald is of the 29th generation to have lived here, and the family has owned the estate for nearly eight hundred years.

The huge columned front hall is much more than a front hall. The ornate plasterwork on the ceiling still has its original eau de nil paintwork; gleaming wooden floors, centered by a large oriental rug, catch the eye, along with the marble fireplace at the far end and the ancestral portraits hanging on from the walls. Lovely pieces of antique furniture make this, as in all the other spacious common rooms of the castle, almost a museum.

Which is not surprising, learning that Desmond is an Irish art historian, formerly Deputy Keeper of the Department of Furniture and Woodwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

All of the castle's room are very large. Particularly inviting is the sitting room adjacent to the dining room, with comfortable antique furniture grouped invitingly before a marble fireplace. And in the dining room, meals are an adventure. Samplings from one menu include such starters as Fish Ballotine with Shrimp Sauce, Salmon Carpaccio with Fresh Cucumber Salsa, or Warm Foie Gras in Vol au Vent with Roasted Apples.

On to the main course; one dinner's choices included Rack of Lamb with King Oyster Mushrooms and Rosemary Sauce, Veal Fillet with Morelles Sauce, Fillet of Beef with Shallot Confit and Red Wine Sauce, and Salmon Tournedos with Polenta and Green Sauce.

As for the desserts, be sure to save room for the likes of Warm Frangipane Pithiviers with Banana Sorbet, Cherry Mousse with Dark Chocolate Tuille, Pavlova with Cream Sauce or Creme Brulee. All of which is orchestrated by charming chef-manager Bob Duff, and served by young people from as far afield as New Zealand.

Much that is served is grown right on the premises; go visit the kitchen garden at the rear of the castle and you'll see why everything is so fresh.

The castle has 15 bedrooms upstairs, with room for expansion. Guest rooms are as spacious as are other rooms of the castle. Color-coded, the Yellow Crown Room has a collection of amusing 18th and 19th-century political cartoons framed above the king size bed. There are two Pink Bedrooms, one on the second floor and one on the third, the later being reached by an aerobic climb of 46 steps. But the steps are on the castle's famous double "flying" staircase, and from the landing there's a wonderful view of the castle's formal gardens in the rear. Supposedly unique in Ireland, the staircase consists of two flanking stairways leading to the landing and the single bit of stairs to the second floor.

The castle's spacious grounds are entered from the small village of Glin, where O'Shaunnessey's Pub is a central attraction of an evening. And across the fields leading to the River Shannon, a romantic small "folly" has been built on the river's edge.

For More Information: Glin Castle, Glin, County Limerick, Ireland; 353-68/34173; fax: 353-6834364.