Knappogue Castle
Knappogue Castle
4.5
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₹6,994.76
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
209 reviews
Excellent
143
Very good
39
Average
17
Poor
5
Terrible
5
Katharine L
Virginia Beach, VA39 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Medieval banquets are back. Served a sample of mead upon arrival. Wine and water available on the tables. Food was plentiful and good. Entertainment needs a little work. Harpist and violinist were great. Singers were more like soloists and not a group (alto was also flat). Dancer wasn't necessarily paying attention to the beat of the music. Needed better mics. Disappointed that the food service lasted longer than the entertainment. Should get better as time progresses. Good place for an evening out.
Written 26 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelerFromPenn
Swarthmore, PA105 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
We loved the medieval banquet at the Knappogue Castle! Indeed they give you mead as you come in the door, and then there is unlimited wine on the tables. Our group had a very good time enjoying all of the entertainment and the delicious and hot food. Two couples of our tour group were chosen to be in the program and that made it even more fun.
The castle is charming and just what you would think a medieval castle should be. The walls are thick stone, the floor is bare and the whole atmosphere puts you in the mood for fun. The entertainment is top notch. The singers and dancers were very professional. The harp and violin players were outstanding.
All in all, lots of fun whether you are with a group or not. Good food, good fun, good times.
The castle is charming and just what you would think a medieval castle should be. The walls are thick stone, the floor is bare and the whole atmosphere puts you in the mood for fun. The entertainment is top notch. The singers and dancers were very professional. The harp and violin players were outstanding.
All in all, lots of fun whether you are with a group or not. Good food, good fun, good times.
Written 29 July 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LOTRfan
Jessup, MD344 contributions
While doing a Globus tour of Ireland in June 2010, one of the optional excursions they offered was a medieval banquet. The banquet was held at Knappogue Castle. The performers in the show also serve you your food so if you like their performance, you can show them your appreciation by leaving a nice tip. Their harpist and fiddle player were particularly good. The food was very good and supposedly you could have all the wine and mead you wanted to drink which led to a good deal of merriment. The castle itself seemed nice and was reportedly restored. Overall, I had a great time at their banquet, would recommend it to my friends and gladly go again.
Written 22 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AndySD
San Diego137 contributions
Aug 2011 • Friends
I visited just to see the castle and grounds, not for the medieval banquet. The castle was okay. We saw the whole thing in less than 30 minutes. The walled garden is okay, too. Even in Ireland I've seen better castles and gardens. It was not worth what we paid to enter. The staff uses one of the exhibit rooms as a break room so they're sitting at a table watching you while you're trying to read the signs. That was weird.
Written 12 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vol_World_Traveler
Memphis, TN99 contributions
We visited Ireland in June 2009. This is a nice castle, but definitely nothing special. The walled garden was nicer than the castle and contained many different types of flowers that were in full bloom. Unfortunately, while we were in the castle, our car was broken into and our GPS was stolen. There is a small parking lot near the entrance of the castle with a large secluded parking lot behind the castle. Because there were limited visitors that day, was out of sight and was easy to be broken into.
Written 10 June 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C...
Victoria, Australia85,772 contributions
Jul 2013 • Friends
What a delightful way to spend an evening. We went to a dinner show here. The castle is stunningly set amidst the countryside... and you are met at the door by the entertainers inviting you in formal tones to join them for the evening. Whilst the food and wine was simply average... the service was impeccable and the entertaining well worth going to see.
Written 15 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen M
Washington, United States461 contributions
Sept 2013 • Friends
A banquet in a castle would be great under better circumstances: there were just too many people packed into the 2 rooms, the sound system was not working well, and the food was simply not good. I couldn't cut my chicken with the steak knife provided. We were so closely packed in we literally couldn't put our arms down to our sides unless the next person put their in front of them.
I wonder if they were trying to accommodate too many people as this is a popular spot?? There were at least 4 tour buses here the night we attended. Too many people to even be safe in case of a fire or other emergency.
Before making reservations suggest asking how many people will be in the audience.
I wonder if they were trying to accommodate too many people as this is a popular spot?? There were at least 4 tour buses here the night we attended. Too many people to even be safe in case of a fire or other emergency.
Before making reservations suggest asking how many people will be in the audience.
Written 6 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ferd
Limerick, Ireland8,857 contributions
Knappogue castle is medieval tower house dating back to 1467 and it was built by Sean MacNamara.
It has a varied history ~ from being a site of a battle to a home. In 1571 the Castle became the seat of the MacNamara Clan, part of the Dalcassians
In 1659 it was confiscated by Cromwell's parliament and granted to Arthur Smith.
When the monarchy was restored in 1670 Knappogue was returned to the MacNamaras. The MacNamara Clan sold the castle in 1800 when they experienced financial difficult, and it has changed hards a number of times subsequently, and also experierced a number of renovations and upgrades.
The history is outlined as you make your way through the building, including details on Magh Adhair and the Dalcassians.
The ground floor has some of the more recent rooms, including a 19 century dining and drawing room.
As you make your way up the narrow stairs you go through a series of Medieval living quarters. The views from the top windows to the surrounding country side is of unblemished fields, and the the walled garden makes for a nice back drop.
The walled garden itself is peaceful and well maintained, although it's also a great place to let children run free along the paths that divide the garden.
Bear in mind that there is another garden to the front of the castle that's also worth a visit.
Admission for an adult is under €5, family €15.50, and there does not appear to be any problem with accessing the walled garden foc.
It has a varied history ~ from being a site of a battle to a home. In 1571 the Castle became the seat of the MacNamara Clan, part of the Dalcassians
In 1659 it was confiscated by Cromwell's parliament and granted to Arthur Smith.
When the monarchy was restored in 1670 Knappogue was returned to the MacNamaras. The MacNamara Clan sold the castle in 1800 when they experienced financial difficult, and it has changed hards a number of times subsequently, and also experierced a number of renovations and upgrades.
The history is outlined as you make your way through the building, including details on Magh Adhair and the Dalcassians.
The ground floor has some of the more recent rooms, including a 19 century dining and drawing room.
As you make your way up the narrow stairs you go through a series of Medieval living quarters. The views from the top windows to the surrounding country side is of unblemished fields, and the the walled garden makes for a nice back drop.
The walled garden itself is peaceful and well maintained, although it's also a great place to let children run free along the paths that divide the garden.
Bear in mind that there is another garden to the front of the castle that's also worth a visit.
Admission for an adult is under €5, family €15.50, and there does not appear to be any problem with accessing the walled garden foc.
Written 9 June 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
satyan_israni
Mumbai, India258 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
If you are going to Knappogue Castle thinking that you will see a grand castle like the ones in Harry Potter / LOTR / GoT then please do not go. Here it is not the castle in itself that is grand but it is the entertainment on offer which really makes it worth every single cent of the 74 euros you pay. It is basically a medieval banquet which is conducted by performers who are in medieval attire and who also serve you at the same time. They are enacting their parts and are also interacting with you and its super fun entertainment as you are part of the entire show throughout.. The Mead served on arrival is excellent and the food is excellent as well! Also they have fruit punch for the non alcoholics and good veggie options for the vegans..I would recommend a visit purely for the entertainment.. They had tap dancing, opera singing, harp performance besides regular song and dance..
Written 4 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MusicCityDiner
Nashville, TN208 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
My honey and I visited Knappogue Castle as a part of a tour, the start of our tour actually, for a medieval banquet. Visiting a place for dining with a tour can sometimes be a let down, but this was not the case at Knappogue. The castle is stunning, the entertainment was grand in style and even the food was much better than anticipated. Kings were annointed, honeyed mead was shared, and soup was served sans spoons so we authentically drank straight from the bowl the tomato basil offering. The dancing by an award winning male Irish dancer was high energy and his female counterparts weren't too shabby either. We didn't have the opportunity to explore the full castle or really the grounds, but it was still an experience that I found to be fun and pretty delicious. The mead was sweet, the soup was tasty and the salmon appetizer was awesome and I don't even care for salmon - it melted like butter in your mouth. Even my main dish of chicken was moist and tasty. This was an event and if I were in a family entourage, I think that kids would be fascinated by the entire production.
Written 9 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes. You can book the castle over night. You should read my review of our stay in the castle.
The only way to book the castle is with AirBNB. Book early so you can get the date you want.
Written 3 September 2018
We will be staying in the castle for one night in May. The banquet is booked by a private party so we will not be able to attend. How long does the program last. What time does it start and end? Thanks
Written 30 March 2018
The dinner program will not have any negative impact on your stay. If you go to the passage way in the back bedroom behind the kitchen, there is a hallway that leads to an area that is just above the banquet room. There is a place there that is covered by a large medieval royal type flag that hides a balcony where you could look down into the dinner area and behind the flag you can enjoy the music. The dining area is not totally sealed off from the living area. Explore have fun
Written 3 September 2018
Is it possible to visit the castle and Whiskey Distillery. If so, even in November?
Written 3 October 2015
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