The best thing about traveling with locals is discovering off the beaten path destinations! After a few days in Dublin we headed to Castlerea; a small town in the Republic of Ireland with gorgeous landscapes, cheap pints and a lot of history! Castlerea is just 3 hours from Dublin by train and it’s home to an impressive Irish Manor known as Clonalis House. Did I mention you can actually stay there? Yes, you can actually sleep in this beautiful house yourself!
Colonalis House in Castlerea, Ireland
Clonalis House was built in 1878 by Charles Owen O’Conor Don (the O’Conor family are direct descendants of the last High Kings of Ireland) – the manor has 45 rooms and features a Victorian Italianate style. You’ll find tons of family portraits, gorgeous antiques and beautiful furniture throughout the restored sections of the house.
Since we were a group of 6 people we decided to rent the self-catering Garden Cottage which is also located on the property. I really enjoyed disconnecting for a few days at the cottage (no wifi ya’ll), exploring the grounds and taking a tour of the manor too. If you’re interested in staying at Clonalis House or the cottages you can check out their website here.
The grounds around the Garden Cottage
Isn’t it adorable?
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