Situated on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, near the village of Cong on the border of counties Mayo and Galway (west of Ireland). Today, the castle is one of the best hotels in the country and at the same time an independent landmark.

In 1985, Ashford Castle was bought by a group of 64 investors, headed by former American ambassador to Ireland Walter Curley and American-Irish businessman and philanthropist Charles Feeney. Rory Murphy remained as manager and retired only in 2002. In 2007, a consortium of investors sold the hotel for 50 million euros to Irish businessman Gerry Barrett, who by that time already owned several hotels in County Galway. Today, Ashford Castle Hotel is a majestic structure with many crenellated towers, parapets, galleries, lancet windows, massive fireplaces, cellars and secret passages. The landscape is complemented by the bridge leading to the castle over the River Cong with two massive fairy-tale towers. The interiors of the castle are no less impressive. Guests can enjoy 85 superbly decorated rooms and several beautiful halls furnished with expensive furniture, decorated with exquisite wood carvings and valuable works of art. The design of each room is unique.

A special attraction of Ashford is its excellent cuisine. The restaurant in the George V Hall is open all year round, the head chef of which is Stefan Matz, “Best Chef in Ireland” 2010 according to the Ireland Good Eating Guide. In this chic hall for 150 people with excellent views of the lake and the river, you can taste masterpieces of Irish and international cuisine.

In the summer, the restaurant in the Connacht Hall is also open, serving classic French dishes. The kitchen is also run by Matz. This hall is more cozy and can accommodate 48 people. With its beautiful wood carvings and fantastic fireplace, it is considered one of the best in the castle.

Ashford is especially proud of its first falconry school in Ireland. The private centre for breeding birds of prey is located right on the castle grounds, on the shores of Lough Corrib. For tourists, this is a rare opportunity to learn how to tame a desert buzzard, an owl and a falcon. In addition to learning how to hunt with falcons, the castle offers guests many other activities, including brown trout and salmon fishing, long walks in the woods, horse riding lessons, and cruises on the Lady Ardillon ferry on Lough Corrib, one of the largest, cleanest and most picturesque lakes in the country. On the castle grounds there are