CASTLE LESLIE

Charismatic Irish castle set in 1,000 rolling acres

CHARISMATIC, FUN AND MILDLY ECCENTRIC, Castle Leslie is set within a rolling 1,000 acre estate overlooking Glaslough Lake. The owners claim to have descended from Attila the Hun, and later Leslies acquired a vast collection of 17th century furniture on their travels around Europe.

The family have been welcoming visitors to Castle Leslie since back in the 1600s. The present-day estate is being developed at breathless speed and now boasts a cookery school, equestrian centre, fishing lakes, Victorian spa and various houses and cottages to rent.

The original castle – where, ironically, the Leslies now live in the servants' quarters – is now a private members' club. But anyone can stay there once before deciding whether to join, and it resonates with slightly eccentric Gothic charm. Crammed with Victoriana – be it stag’s heads, family portraits, suits of armour or stuffed animals – this grand house oozes history and atmosphere.

Flamboyant decor

From romantic boudoirs made for seclusion to more flamboyant bedrooms decorated with rich deep colours, Club Castle Leslie has a room to suit every taste – and each with a fascinating tale to tell. Equally individual bathrooms boast the oldest bathtub in Ireland, throne "thunderbox" loos and even a complete bathroom hidden away in a dolls' house. 

Play out your Jane Eyre fantasies in the Governess suite, ballroom dance your way across the huge painted bathroom in Anita’s room, cosy up in Lionel's cheerful quarters or soak in the open bathtub in Aggie's splendid room.

Down the road from Club Castle Leslie is the Hunting Lodge, a luxurious four star hotel whose bedrooms are imaginatively furnished in period style. Sink into the comfort of the Jigsaw room for the max in nocturnal cossetting.

Dining in the castle itself, whose elegant rooms are lined with oil paintings and well-thumbed books, is all old-time opulence. Dinner is served in the original dining room around a huge table glowing with candelabra, giving you the chance to mingle with fellow your guests. Stay in the Hunting Lodge and you'll be dining at Snaffles – all light and space with huge picture windows.


Castle Leslie was reviewed by Room for Romance

Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.

Dining in
Set on a mezzanine floor, cool Snaffles brasserie in Castle Leslie's  Hunting Lodge frames views of the surrounding woodland through a wall of glass – a dramatic contrast to its period hand-carved ceiling and chunky oak beams. Fresh local ingredients add extra zing to Mediterranean inspired dishes, and when he’s not running the cookery school, master chef Noel McMeel shows off his skills at the wood burning stone oven. For something simpler, Conor's Bar offers simple and traditional country cooking.

Guests staying in The Club at Castle Leslie can look forward to a different culinary experience. Bloody Marys and a lazy breakfast at noon, a lingering lunch, picnic on a boat in the lake, afternoon tea by the fire, champagne and canapés on the terrace and then whoops, the gong rings and its time for dinner.

Seating up to 44 guests, the great candlelit Club table in the Gallery is a real social affair. Chefs rustle up a banquet with wines to match and conversation flows. Afterwards, it may be a game of billiards, cheese and port in the drawing room or a bevvy or two in the Long Gallery.

Dining out
Monaghan Town has plenty of places to choose from: try Tommies for steaks and veggie meals or Andy's Bar and Restaurant for everything from Irish stews to chili con carne.

See & Do
There's no need to even leave the estate here: go horse riding in a thousand acres of parkland and rolling hills, pike fishing on the lake or walking in the woods. Sign up at the Equestrian Centre and get going on your steed – you'll find 300 jumps here to test out your skills, from knee-highs to knee-tremblers. There are 21 miles of bridle paths, exhilarating cross-country rides, an indoor arena and a mile-long, all-weather gallop.

Give your horse a rest and take a stroll through acre after pretty acre before settling down for a champagne picnic. Cook up a storm in the cookery school, play golf not far away or curl up with a book. And if you simply want to chill, you can’t go far wrong with the Victorian Spa where pampering is the order of the day.

Shop
Dedicated shoppers can trawl for curios at nearby Monaghan Town, or head for the bigger stores of bustling Armagh city. 

Spa
Castle Leslie's organic Victorian Spa offers a galaxy of pampering and therapeutic treatments using 100% organic skincare products. Bring your partner and spend the day trying out the hot tubs, hydrotherapy bath and Victorian steam boxes. From Fire and Ice facials and aromatherapy to a range of men-only treatments, this is the place to pamper.

After dark
Head off to the snug at Conors bar to enjoy the craic.

Dates
March
Come and see if Saint Patrick’s Day lives up to the hype. (It does). There's Irish dancing in Armagh and plenty of the black stuff.

GETTING THERE

Location
Glaslough, Co. Monaghan

Parking
There is free guest parking

Trains
Armagh station – 25 minutes

Taxis
Around EUR 100 from the airport

Airport
Belfast – 70 minutes, or Dublin – 90 minutes. You can always arrive in style and make use of the helipad.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Rates guide
From EUR 220

Open/closed
Open all year except Christmas Day

Check-in
2pm

Check-out
12 midday

Minimum night stay?
No

Breakfast
Breakfast is served until 9:30am

Room service
No

Children
Welcome

Pets
No

Air conditioning
No

Languages
English and Lithuanian

Wedding license?
No

Your contact
Sammy Leslie – owner and manager