Ballindooley Castle

Location: Ballindooley Castle, Galway, ie

Star Rating: 9.3 Stars

Property Type: Holiday homes

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 12:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Family rooms
• Pets allowed
• Luggage storage
• Express check-in/check-out
• Private check-in/check-out
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Board games/puzzles
• Concierge service
• Shared kitchen
• Kids' outdoor play equipment
• Outdoor furniture
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Physical distancing rules followed
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• First aid kit available
• Sanitized tableware & silverware
• Contactless check-in/check-out
• Invoice provided
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
• Guest room sealed after cleaning
• Property cleaned by professional cleaning companies
• Physical distancing in dining areas
• Food delivered to guest room
• Screens / Barriers between staff and guests for safety
• Face masks for guests available
• Delivered food - securely covered
• Thermometers for guests provided by property
• Front desk (limited hours)
• Express check-in
• Free wired internet
• Self parking (surcharge)
• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Internet access
• Private picnics
• Japanese garden
• Covered parking

Rooms Available

• Vacation Home

  The fireplace is the standout feature of this holiday home. This spacious holiday home comes with 4 living rooms, 3 separate bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with a shower and free toiletries. Guests can make meals in the kitchen that features a stovetop, a refrigerator, kitchenware and an oven. The holiday home features a washing machine, a private entrance, soundproof walls, a flat-screen TV with streaming services, as well as lake views. The unit has 6 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 8 (8 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • TV
  • Hair dryer
  • Kitchenette
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Microwave
  • Dishwasher
  • Washing machine
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Shared toilet
  • Kitchen
  • Fireplace
  • Additional toilet
  • Private entrance
  • Sofa
  • Tile/marble floor
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Tumble dryer
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Oven
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster
  • Cleaning products
  • Coffee machine
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Dining table
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Clothes rack
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Toilet paper
  • Board games/puzzles
  • Books, DVDs, or music for children
  • Baby safety gates
  • Wine or champagne
  • Bottle of water
  • Fruits
  • Chocolate or cookies
  • Trash cans
  • Wine glasses
  • Cots
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Body soap
  • Shower cap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Adapter
  • Feather pillow
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Mobile hotspot device
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Carbon monoxide detector

Guest Reviews

• Stueber (10/5): Awesome Experience - Staying in a genuine 16th century tower castle was a once in a lifetime experience. We appreciated the tour given by the host explaining the history and the secrets of the castle. The renovations to the castle added the modern amenities that made our stay comfortable but did not distract from the authentic experience. Four of us stayed in the castle, we had to use the hot water judiciously. While we were comfortable, some of the surfaces could have been cleaner. That being said, because it is a large castle, it is not going to be 5-star hotel clean.
• Stephen (1/5): -
• Maureen (10/5): A tower castle all to yourself - I loved the experience even though some of it was uncomfortable! It should be uncomfortable. It's the real deal - fairly cold before the radiators warm the rooms and a few cobwebs. We were there in mid-March. It's probably great in the summer. It is so easy to imagine living here in the late 1400s. We spent a few hours exploring all over the castle since we had the whole place to ourselves! The host allowed early entrance - maybe because it was St. Patrick's Day. He gave us a video tour on Whatsapp. It is on a main road, so traffic at night took away the magical notion we were in a different time and space.
• Rowan (10/5): - Such a unique stay! was definitely a highlight of the trip. The host gave us a guided tour around the castle and its history. Would recommend to a friend :)
• Veronica (10/5): - Complete Castle experience in the beautiful West of Ireland 🇮🇪 ❤️
• Heather (10/5): The best, most unique stay for our entire family. Where else can you have a castle all to yourself! - The location was wonderfully rural while close to Galway for conveniences and entertainment. Loved the whole experience.
• Stuart (10/5): Wow to a castle experience - Loved every bit of this truly unique experience, made great by a very attentive host Not too much to say here, it's a castle so you don't expect modern trimmings
• Emma (7/5): Authentic castle experience0 - Unique experience. Barry's virtual welcome and passion for the history and the property. Some amenities not functioning.
• Tammy (8/5): Unique castle experience - Barry gave us a tour when we arrived. The tour was interesting and informative. He even had us go on the roof. He made us feel comfortable to contact him with any questions. Such a unique experience! We really enjoyed our time there. It was amazing. Castles are cold in December. They had electric heaters and warm comforters. We knew a Castle was not like staying in a hotel.
• Jeff (10/5): An authentic castle experience, do it! - We had a wonderful stay in the Ballindooley castle. Barry, the host, gave us a tour and explained everything we needed to know to be comfortable upon arrival. This is an authentic experience, be prepared for chilly spots, howling winds when the weather kicks up, and some dust, hey, it's a real castle! The location is great, only a short cab ride to all the fun stuff in Galway. It is likely that my ancestors, the Burke's, lived here, wow! I can only imagine what it must have been like without all the conveniences we had like running water, toilets, and electricity! Be aware that the room with the double bed is on the top floor, on a balcony overlooking the dining room, up some really narrow spiral steps. If you have mobility challenges or are afraid of heights, this is not the bedroom for you! Overall, this was a fun experience, something you will want to share with your friends and family. The beds in the twin room were a bit "tired" and no so comfortable. A coupe of us had an exhilarating cold shower in the morning! Be aware of the blind corner going out onto the main road!
• Mc S (9/5): For all the fantasy and history lovers, it's the perfect stay! - Absolutely surreal to be able to step inside and actual spend the night in a castle! Such a gorgeous spot with stunning views and a cozy inside! The host was super friendly, gave us a tour around the castle, pointing out all the historical elements and designs of the castle, and was easy to reach and contact if we had any queries. Made for a truly magical night! Not really an issue at all, the stairs just took a bit of getting used to haha!
• Michael (10/5): Beautiful piece of history - Amazing opportunity to stay in a historical house. Our castle stay topped off our family vacation to the UK and Ireland. The property was fantastic. Finding a taxi out of town during a rain storm was a bit problematic but no fault of the owners.
• Pascaline (9/5): - Le château et son ambiance. Facilité pour se garer. Contact facile avec Barry
• Cassie (10/5): -
• Keith (10/5): -
• Hans-Hasso (8/5): authentisches ritterliches wohnen - Ein atemberaubender Burgturm, mit viel "Attention to detail" eingerichtet. So war es wirklich ein besonderes Erlebnis. Der Eigentümer gibt einem auch gerne eine guded tour, in unserem Fall über whatsapp. Günstig gelegen, sowohl für die Fahrt nach Galway rein, als auch in Richtung der Sehenswürdigkeiten. In Anbetracht der ca. 100 ungleich hohen und breiten/schmalen Stufen nicht geeignet bei Bewegungseinschränkungen. Sauberkeit sollte nicht ganz oben auf der eigenen Prioritätsskala stehen und im unteren Schlafzimmer ist der Verkehr trotz der 2m dicken Mauern gut zu hören.
• Maria Nome (9/5): Extraordinary accommodation and a beautiful experience - It was a great pleasure staying for a week in this medieval tower house, running up and down the spiral staircases, peaking down the murder holes, dining in the banquet room and relaxing in the dark, but very cosy living space. In the evenings we watched the sun set from the roof terrace, and in the mornings we sent the kids out to play on the large lawn in front of the tower. The owner was very communicative and friendly. Upon arrival he even gave us a brief history of this indeed very special place. The bedroom on the ground floor is rather damp, but this is a building from 16th century.
• Mickey (10/5): Great adventure but I wouldn’t want to live there permanently, needs an elevator. - Genuine castle Clothes dryer took forever to dry!
• Janee (9/5): My family was in awe of our stay at the Ballindooley Castle. It was so exciting and yet had everything we needed for a c - It’s a real, very cool castle with significant upgrades for 21st century living. The owner virtually walked us through and gave us lots of historical information. He was also very communicative and flexible. Nothing. It is not staying at a hotel, it is an old stone castle so one needs to be prepared for that.
• Deborah (7/5): Amazing Scotland castle experience - This was a very unique, fun experience if you have ever dreamed of staying in your own castle. Our host provided a great overview of the history and features of the castle upon check-in, and it did have modern conveniences to make our stay quite comfortable. Location was very close/convenient to Galway, but in a peaceful countryside setting. While this would be a great property for a family, especially with kids, I would not recommend for older guest with mobility issues. The stairs are quite narrow and there’s a lot of of them! But for folks with a sense of adventure, I’d highly recommend giving this place a try.
• Heather (10/5): Amazing experience - Staying here was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience! I appreciated that it had all the modern conveniences yet still felt like the castle it was. Barry, the owner, was so kind and easy to communicate with.
• Enck (10/5): Exceptional - This property is truly unique. 76 stairs up to the top headroom. You won’t get a large suitcase up there. But if you’re up for an adventure it is a real castle. Nicely upgraded bathrooms. We decided not to let the little ones even visit - just a bit too dangerous.
• Marko (8/5): A Medieval adventure - It is an amazing experience. Hands down. You’re literally in a castle to yourselves. I couldn’t recommend the experience more. It was freezing cold the first night, and my only recommendation to the property would be to warm up the place before guests arrive. Not an easy task with a 500+ year old castle, but it all would have been perfect if we walked into a warmer setting.
• Ashlee (10/5): Exceptional -
• Kiki (8/5): Very good - Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the castle's history. He shared fascinating stories and anecdotes that brought the past to life, giving us a great, fun and informative phone tour of the castle. The castle's architecture is breathtaking, with intricate details and stunning views of the grounds and nearby lake. We got the whole castle for ourselves, and there's multiple rooms and beds to accommodate your whole group. I can tell a lot of effort and thought have been put into the making of this renovated castle. This is the perfect place for a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a special occasion. We highly recommend this unique accommodation to anyone seeking a truly unique experience. Barry has a stunning space, but it could definitely use a deep cleaning. There's unnecessary old clutter in some rooms, and dust everywhere. My mom and I spend a few hours cleaning as much as we could in the kitchen, living room and bathrooms, but we didn't want to spend our vacation cleaning a place that should've been cleaned for us already. The fireplace needs to be cleaned urgently too. Just a heads up, every room has its own floor, keep this in mind if you have mobility issues, my mother-in-law was not able to go anywhere but the first floor.
• Shaun (10/5): Exceptional - the pictures do it no justice great place to stay, not to far from Galway city and the host is brilliant.
• Sereny (10/5): Fantastic, unique stay - We stayed at Ballindooley Castle in August of 2024. It was amazing. The castle is one of those one-in-a-lifetime opportunities, unique experience overall. The amount of space you get is huge, first of all. Also, the home was well-appointed with everything you could possibly need to live like royalty. Barry was a very responsive host. All rooms were as described. You can even get to the roof of the tower which has spectacular views. There is also a good amount of outdoor space, including a picnic table. My only small gripe is that there were cobwebs and spiders in some of the nooks and crannies. Also if anyone in your group has mobility issues you will not be able to stay here. There are lots of steep staircases.
• Keith (10/5): Unique stay - The castle was amazing. We were a little worried because of the pictures and how much room there was we might be sharing some of the common areas. Nope, entire castle to ourselves. It was a unique experience and very happy we chose to stay here.
• Jocelyn (10/5): If you’re looking to have a very unique experience then this is the place for you. - Who doesn’t love a castle!!? Very unique opportunity. Prepare to be a little chilly but hey, it’s a castle!

Photos