The Drawing Room HourNotebook No 73October 2025
A castle inside the city limits, twelve minutes from the airport.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
The arrival at Clontarf Castle is unlike many others in Dublin, as you pull up to a large 12th-century structure with the 21st-century city bordering its grounds. After a swift twelve-minute journey from the airport, the change in architectural style is immediate, a historical presence in a modern setting. That almost jarring juxtaposition always strikes us.
Adare
The Knights Bar provides a practical option for your one-night stay before an outbound flight. We appreciate its convivial atmosphere and the ease of a casual meal after settling in. This is not about formal dining with white tablecloths, but rather a comfortable, direct experience.
While a stay at Clontarf Castle might not be a sweeping fantasy, it is a thoroughly worthwhile proposition for what it provides.
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The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.