Didn’t quite look how I thought when I think of a castle, and built up modern around it. Not a great deal to see, very similar inside to many national trust houses except for the large stately meeting/ball room. Nice info booklet to support self guided tour, ok for a visit but wouldn’t have felt I missed out had I not seen it (although couldn’t have that opinion without seeing it first! 🙃) not too expensive at least. Pre-booked but tickets were available on the day and each day of our stay.

Took us about 90 mins to stroll round. Was nothing special, other than stair case, throne room and ladies drawing room. The rest of it was full of paintings of various people associated with the castle and surrounding areas. There was nothing traditional about the castle, as in no suits of armour, no weapons and no events or battles taken place. It was interesting however to learn of Ireland's break away from the UK, and realising this wasn't really that long ago.

I’m surprised to see some of the other reviews, we had a great time! We decided to do the guided tour so while we had some time to spend, we went to the cafe on the grounds of the Castle near the gardens. We really enjoyed the food (big portions) and the atmosphere of the building the cafe was in. We then did the self-guided tour and saw a lot of the artwork. They had an exhibition where you could look at portraits and make assumptions about the subjects life (wealth, status, job, etc.) and then uncover what their life was actually like. We then did the guided tour and had Tristian as a guide. He was wonderful! So knowledgeable and personable. We went down to the old castle ruins, into the church, and through a few rooms in the palace. Tristian gave such detailed information, was happy to answer questions, and overall a great guide. Would really recommend getting the guided tour if you visit!

Ok but depending on what you are looking for no biggie to miss. Guided tour times didn’t work for us so opted for self guided. Guidebook was easy to follow. Entrance was stunning but rooms were painting full but lacked what I expected …. No clothes, armor, furnishings that relayed to the time … building itself is impress

It was more of a portrait gallery that took you through the apartments. Originally i was expecting to see a castle, but it was more of the living quarters for those who had more recently lived there versus an 18th century castle with stone interior. It was still worth the visit and the history of it was incredible as well.

Take the guided tour! It’s less than you will spend on lunch!! Our guide brought the long timeline of the castle history into focus… from the moat and tower days to the room where the next inauguration will happen! The absolute highlight is the chapel…

State rooms self guided tour is only intersting if you like artwork and formal rooms - we were in awe of Saint Patricks Hall. Do not go expecting 'Castle' as this has been updated many times over the years. You can see some of the orginal parts from outside. If you are not into art and formal rooms then just walk around outside and see the building and gardens. Make sure you have headphones if you want to listen to self guided tour

A good experience made even better by our wonderful tour guide. His delightful 'patter' put everyone at ease and in a good mood. He was informative and knew his subject. Highly recommend this tourist attraction

This castle is mostly one big art gallery! If you like to look at beautiful paintings, then this is the place for you. The self-guided tour booklet is very detailed and gives information on every single artwork you see, and gives valuable historical insight into the rooms you'll walk through. Well worth the 45 minutes we spent!

We purchased advanced tickets on their site prior to visiting since there were so many tourists and we wanted to make sure we were able to get in. The Castle is rather drab on the outside. There was a lot of renovation taking place when we visited. There was a very large courtyard in the middle with several surrounding buildings that can be accessed from the outside without a ticket. The interior is very beautiful. You start at the Grand Staircase that has rich red carpeting and drapes juxtaposed against the white woodwork. My favorite rooms were the Drawing Room, Throne Room and St. Patrick’s Hall. We enjoyed our visit, and I would recommend visiting.