--- title: Get married at Ashford Castle on the shores of Lough Corrib description: >- Say your vows in the garden of a Guinness family castle in Ireland, then dine under Waterford crystal. Weddings at this Irish castle can be intimate or grand. canonical: >- https://peachperfectweddings.com/venues/ireland/lavish-wedding-castle-in-the-west-of-ireland date_updated: '2026-08-25' author: Claudia, null image: >- https://edculdonasdlqjrowlzt.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/cms/ppw5f3t595tj42z?height=1000&width=1000&resize=contain&quality=80 --- # Lavish wedding castle in the west of Ireland Step through the grand stone gates into a spectacular castle estate that has stood witness to Irish history for over 800 years. Once home to the Guinness family, Ashford Castle today is an elegant luxury hotel that offers space for intimate weddings for up to 40 guests, or can be booked in its entirety for larger parties of up to 166. ## Spaces & Capacity | Pers. | Purpose(s) | Ref. | | --- | --- | --- | | up to 166 | Accommodation | Rooms & Suites | | up to 10 | Ceremony, Dinner | Inglenook Room | | up to 40 | Ceremony, Dinner, Drinks reception | Connaught Room | | up to 166 | Dinner | George V Dining Room | | up to 88 | Dinner | Ardilaun Suite | | up to 30 | Drinks reception, After-party | Billiards Room & Cigar Terrace | | up to 2 | Accommodation | The Boathouse | ## About this venue ### Highlights Eight hundred years of history where Lough Corrib narrows into the River Cong. Passed through generations, owned by the Guinness family, and shaped by history. Today the castle is a Forbes five-star hotel with 83 bedrooms, 350 acres, a nine-hole golf course and Ireland's oldest falconry school. Weddings run from the two of you up to the whole castle, and our [wedding packages in Ireland](/ireland) cover the planning. ### History The de Burgo family raised the first castle here in 1228 and held it until 1589. The Brownes, later Barons Oranmore, added a French-style chateau wing in the 1700s, and you can still see where the two styles meet. Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness bought the estate in 1852, grew it to 26,000 acres, planted thousands of trees and added two Victorian extensions. His son, Lord Ardilaun, laid out the terraces and walks in the 1890s. The Prince of Wales came in 1905, and the dining room built for him still carries his later name. ### Location Ashford Castle sits at Cong in County Mayo, where Lough Corrib empties into the short River Cong. The castle itself stands just across the county line in Galway, which is why you'll see both counties quoted. Ireland West Airport at Knock is the nearest gateway at 68 km, with Shannon 140 km away and Dublin 261 km. Galway city is 46 km, roughly an hour by road. It feels remote and isn't, which is the useful combination when guests are flying in from three countries. ### Surroundings Cong village is a 15-minute walk from the castle through the estate, though it's nearly 4 km if you drive around. Take the walk. You'll find pubs, the ruins of Cong Abbey, and a museum devoted to the film shot here in 1951, with a statue of its two stars on the street. Lough Corrib is Ireland's second-largest lake, scattered with wooded islands you can pick out from the lake-view rooms. Couples planning [destination weddings across Ireland](/destinations/ireland) often add a few days here for guests. ### Excursions Connemara starts about an hour west. Kylemore Abbey is 51 km, the Connemara National Park trailhead 56 km, and Westport 47 km the other way. Galway city, 46 km south, is the one guests tend to build a day around. The nearest sea beach is roughly an hour off, at Salthill on Galway Bay, so this is a lake venue rather than a coastal one. If a coastline matters more to you than a castle, our other [Irish wedding locations](/wedding-venues-in-ireland) sit right on the Atlantic. ### Activities The estate runs Ireland's oldest falconry school, founded in 1999, where an hour-long hawk walk puts a Harris hawk on your glove and sends it tree to tree ahead of you. There's also archery, clay shooting, horse riding, tennis, cycling, fishing, canoeing and lake cruising from the estate's own jetty. The nine-hole, par-35 golf course occupies the old deer park and was designed by Eddie Hackett. Christy O'Connor Senior was the professional here from 1947. Green fees are included for residents. ### Accessibility The castle is a protected historic building, so full step-free access isn't possible everywhere, but there's one fully accessible bedroom, plus ramps and lifts in the public areas and wheelchair-adapted bathrooms. Accessible routes run to reception, the event rooms, every restaurant, the gym, the spa and the pool. The walled garden is reached on gravel. Tell us early and we'll build the day around the routes that work. ### Accommodation All 83 rooms and suites are in the castle itself, from Corrib Rooms up to the split-level Reagan Presidential Suite, named for the president who stayed in 1984. Staterooms sit in the oldest wing and have fireplaces you control yourself. The bridal suite has two bathrooms and joins two neighboring rooms into a private three-bedroom wing. The Boathouse is separate, a one-bedroom suite for two on the water behind its own gates. Check-in is 3pm, check-out noon, and every wedding guest has to be a resident. ### Ceremony Ashford Castle is licensed for civil ceremonies, so your marriage can be legally registered on the estate rather than somewhere else beforehand. A registrar travels out on set days and times, and the paperwork has to be lodged at least three months ahead. [Our planner in Ireland](/wedding-planner-in-ireland) helps you with the registration office and holds the timings with the castle's events team. Fine weather allows for a ceremony in the walled garden, with its deep borders and a tree over you exchanging your vows. For rainy weather, elegant indoor rooms are available for your ceremony. ### Reception Three rooms carry the day, and which one you get depends on numbers. The Inglenook Room takes two to ten, panelled and fireside. The Connaught Room takes ten to forty, with oak walls, a hand-carved fireplace, a Donegal Crystal chandelier and windows onto the gardens and the lake. Above forty, the castle switches to exclusive hire and dinner moves to the George V Dining Room, built for the Prince of Wales in 1905 and lit by eleven Waterford Crystal chandeliers. Welcome drinks go in the panelled Oak Hall, and the night before can be spent in the wine cellars, three small vaulted rooms in 16th-century tunnels under the castle. ### Catering Everything comes from the castle's own kitchen, where executive Chef Liam Finnegan cooks off the estate's own gardens and a list of named Irish producers, including Andarl Farm for pork and Connemara lamb. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and nut-free menus are available. Couples choosing to book the castle for their wedding day, are invited to a menu tasting to decide on the flavours of their day. Your cake can be delivered from an outside baker that your planner is happy to arrange for you. ### Entertainment Bands, live acts and all amplified music are only permitted when you book the entire castle for your celebration. For an intimate wedding in the Inglenook or Connaught rooms, music has to be unamplified and must stop at 10pm. An acoustic harpist or a string trio can be a lovely choice for intimate weddings. For weddings that book the entire castle, a dance floor is prepared. The castle's Billiards Room the rooftop Cigar Terrace offer space for letting the day wind down in style. ### Pets Dogs are welcome at Ashford Castle. Book a Deluxe Room or above and your dog gets a bed, bowls, towels and a turndown treat, with a nightly charge per dog and a limit of two to a room. There's a Pet Concierge to talk to before you arrive, and dog sitting and dog walking can both be booked a day ahead. With 350 acres of woodland and lake shore to cover, a dog in the wedding photos is an easy yes here. ### Sustainability The castle was the first hotel in Ireland to earn the GREENMark Plastic Smart Standard, and it has held Green Hospitality Ireland's Gold standard since joining in 2010. Beehives on the estate pollinate the gardens and the woodland. The kitchen gardens supply the restaurants, and from June to mid-October there are guided tours through them, which makes a good hour for guests with a free afternoon. Four electric car charging points sit by the castle and the garage. ### Exclusivity The castle grounds are closed to anyone not staying, so the only people on the estate are guests. Every wedding guest has to be a resident of the castle, and evening-only guests are not permitted. If you are celebrating with more than 40 guests, the entire castle must be booked exclusively. Below 40 guests, you are welcome to reserve the spaces of your choice to celebrate with your family in privacy.