Finally, we went to the cathedral. The cathedral is quite new and was built between 1958 and 1965. They didn't skimp on anything.

On the last evening, we went to the George V Dining Room, the hotel's exquisite fine dining restaurant. Of course, appropriate attire is very important there:

A dinner jacket? For a moment, I considered packing my tuxedo. But I figured that the writer simply didn't know what a dinner jacket is and that it's just the usual nonsense for people who don't know how to dress. This time, it's just people who don't know how to describe clothing correctly. Incidentally, a dinner jacket is not worn with a tie, but with a bow tie.
In the evening, the restaurant and the foyer appear significantly darker.




The restaurant has a plate in the Michelin Guide, which is something to celebrate. The prices are set at star level.


OK, Tasting Menu.
Amuse Bouche and bread - both good.


Estate Ricotta - Estate Vegetables - Pumpkin Sees - Dukkha - Hawthorn


A refreshing start, that was just right.
Cured Organic Salmon - Cucumber - Kohlrabi - Velvet Cloud Yoghurt - Smoked Salmon Rillettes



Solid
Scallop


It tasted good.
Grapefruit and Champagne Sorbet


Not my taste because of the champagne, but the grapefruit sorbet was good.
Pan Fried Cod - Courgette - Killary Fjord Mussels - Pineapple Weed - Shellfish Bisque



That was very tasty.
Roast Turbot - Artichoke - Gnocchi - Wild Garlic - Summer Greens


That was OK too, although I preferred the cod.
Chocolate


Like the scallops, it wasn't on the regular menu, but it was OK.


Petit Fours

The bill

The food was of good quality; the George V is a decent restaurant. In my opinion, the cuisine isn't quite up to Michelin star standard, but the prices are in line with that. You're eating at Ashford Castle, after all, and you pay for that.

Now it was time to say goodbye to Ashford Castle and continue on to Killarney. Choosing a hotel in the area was really not that easy. Sheens Fall Lodge was actually the classic choice, but even though it has two Michelin stars, the reviews had not been very good recently. The location is also not great. Another alternative was the Europe. Not bad, really, but I didn't really like the penthouse suites and couldn't quite warm to it. Then there was the Killarney Park Hotel. Very nice, freshly renovated and really beautiful rooms. But I didn't book that either. It's not in the countryside, but in the middle of town. My attention was drawn to the Aghadoe Heights Hotel. According to the photos, it had a very nice view and offered a fairly large penthouse suite at a price I found acceptable. I also got the impression from the photos that it had a particularly nice wellness area. So I decided on the Aghadoe Heights. Thanks to a Black Friday promotion, the penthouse cost �6,240 for four nights.
The journey there is as usual via narrow roads. But then you arrive at the hotel and the surroundings are really beautiful. The hotel itself isn't really that great. You can already see the penthouse.








From the parking lot.

Yes, there was something... Here is the legendary Aghadoe Stone in the parking lot.

Cars love it! Equal rights for all! Why should only humans have a stone to kiss (more on that later)?


The entrance area.

When we arrived, the doorman was busy unloading a minibus, and a group of Americans was just arriving. We were hardly noticed. When you enter the hotel, you immediately notice that you are in a slightly different environment than in Ashford. Everything is bright, but the concierge desk with its luggage trolley is not exactly going to win any design awards.




We had to wait a bit at the lobby desk, but it was fine. The lobby itself is very low, and even though they've tried hard with the decor, it all looks rather modest.




Check-in was quick, and the lady helped us with our suitcases. Fun fact: the loaded luggage trolley barely fit through the doors. To get to the penthouse, you have to walk down a hallway until you reach an elevator.

But let's move on to the penthouse. According to the website, it has been newly renovated and is 278 square meters in size. That should be enough for two people, as the floor plan suggests.

Apparently, it offers special services such as afternoon tea on arrival and free ironing service, but I didn't notice anything of the sort, nor did I ask. Access is via the stairs, as I later found out.

There is also supposed to be a �private elevator.� Well, that's not entirely true. It's just a normal elevator. But since the penthouse is on the 5th floor and there is no button for it, you need a key card.

On the 5th floor, you find yourself in an antechamber, but you can no longer lock the suite from the outside.




The toilets are off the entrance hall. No, not the actual ones�the suite has its own �public toilets.� And before anyone asks: Yes, I really needed them urgently and it was the reason I booked this particular room.



All joking aside, this shows that the penthouse is well equipped for hosting smaller events, as is often the case with large suites.
But then there's the entrance to the actual suite.

The door can be locked from the inside. Passing through the door, you enter another foyer with a bar and a tap system.



There is also a free minibar here. Great idea, but unfortunately it wasn't restocked and was poorly stocked (6 tonics, 2 colas, 2 bottles of water, I think). Behind the bar, there was a small kitchen on the left (without a stove, etc.).

And an office. Not really the place to be, if you ask me. But the globe is cool.




The cables available do not fit the equipment I brought with me. Perhaps if you obtain a few devices from the museum...

OK, I know. Some devices still use them. But who carries a monitor around with them?

The living room was really nice and furnished with fairly new furniture.






There were also flowers, art and entertainment technology.




But the best thing is to enjoy the view (difficult to capture).

The artificial fireplace was quite atmospheric.

A small hallway marks the beginning of the sleeping area.

The first and smaller bedroom is on the left.

It is more or less a standard room.



You can always use extra closet space.

A second bathroom is also practical.


The bathroom had also been significantly neglected when it came to renovations. It was no longer in an appealing condition.

The master bedroom was much nicer, we really liked some of the furniture, and you had a view to the front.





The master bathroom was off the bedroom. In the entrance hall was the dressing area with rather modest closet space.


The shower was also located here.

The bathroom itself was large enough and brightly furnished, but why there was no hand shower next to the bathtub remains a mystery. Nevertheless, I think you would expect a little more from a penthouse of this size. Also it missed a cosmetic mirror.

Let's move on to the best part of the suite, the terrace. Yes, it does have a few flaws. I wasn't quite sure why there were dead plants and junk lying around. The area behind the whirlpool could have done with a tidy-up. The whirlpool itself was obviously completely overchlorinated; at least, after using it, all my body hair was sticking together in clumps. I've never experienced that before. Nevertheless, the amazing view somehow makes up for it and you're forgiving.























Also nice when it gets dark.

The broken chair is a nice touch. I feel you are too forgiving

The hotel had already earned a reputation with me as a hotel with a great pool area. To get to the pool, we first had to walk through the corridor to the entrance door.



To get to the pool, you go through the changing rooms and the rather remarkable shower, then up a spiral staircase to the pool.




The pool itself is quite nice, but shows its age in many places. The pool bar (very 90s) was converted into a flower bed a long time ago, and somehow it just didn't spark my love.

We ate at the hotel restaurant on our first evening. I would describe the dining room as adequate; it wasn't particularly exciting.

The menu.

A solid non-alcoholic wine, I've had it at home before.

Amuse Bouche

The Beetroot - ardsallagh goat cheese, coffee, cocoa soil, beetroot pur�e

Balfego Tuna - kiwi, pickled ginger, lime


Monkfish - chick peas, tomato concass�




Yuzu - white chocolate, coconut crumb, blueberry


Iced Nougat - violet candy floss, raspberry sauce

The bill

A solid meal with interesting dishes.

What in the name of all that is holy was the sauce with the monkfish?

It had been replaced because it was supposed to contain sausage. I mean peas. In any case, it was good.

Breakfast was served in the restaurant in the morning. The food was good overall, but the selection didn't change over the course of our stay.










You could also order from a menu. The food was good, though not outstanding.








All in all, a decent breakfast. After a few days, however, it gets boring. I particularly liked the spreads.