Castle Leslie Exterior
Why just stay in an ordinary hotel when you can stay somewhere with a story? There’s certainly no shortage of stories in Ireland as the country is known for its colourful history and storytelling talent (“craic”), and there’s no shortage of castles here, either. So I couldn’t wait to experience the best of both at Castle Leslie, one of the country’s top luxury castle hotels. The gorgeous 1000-acre estate in County Monaghan that is Castle Leslie is one of only a handful of castles that has remained in the same family for generations, where over the years the Leslie family has hosted politicians, poets, rock stars and rebels. Oh, and the odd ghost or two as well!
Castle Leslie: One of Irelands Most Storied Castles
When it comes to who you know and where you come from, Castle Leslie has a history that is hard to beat, starting with Attila the Hun, reputed to be a Leslie family ancestor. Fortunately that’s not how the family acquired its ‘influence’; instead, that came in 1065 after Bartholomew Leslie rescued Margaret, the future Queen of Scotland, as they both were trying to escape her enemies on Bartholomew’s horse. Margaret fell crossing a river, and Bartholomew threw her the end of his belt advising her to ‘grip fast’ to the buckle. (The family motto has been ‘Grip Fast’ ever since, bestowed to the family by the Queen.)
Bartholomew married into the royal family himself, and their descendants acquired the Estate on Lake Glaslough in 1665, where the family has lived ever since, all the while hosting influential people from poets to politicians. Modern family connections include WB Yeats, Irish revolutionary Michael Collins and Winston Churchill, a Leslie family relative whose ‘baby frock’ is actually on display in one of the drawing rooms in the castle.
Winston Churchill’s ‘baby frock’ on display in Castle Leslie
And while I’m throwing names around, let’s not forget members of modern-day’s ‘rock royalty’ who have stayed at Castle Leslie as well, from Mick Jagger who used to party here in the 60s with Marianne Faithful, to Sir Paul McCartney who married Heather Mills here in 2002.
Meet Sammy Leslie, Estate-preneur Extraordinaire
Certainly, Castle Leslie has stories to tell, and there’s no better person to share them than Samantha (Sammy) Leslie, who runs the estate for the Family Trust and who is responsible for taking Castle Leslie from a slightly worse-for-wear estate in the 1990s to the successful luxury hotel destination that it is today. Yet despite all of her family’s history, wealth and influence and her own entrepreneurial success, Sammy is about as down-to-earth as you can get.
A portrait of young Sammie Leslie hanging in the Castle
I got the chance to meet Sammy as I was enjoying an amazing meal in Snaffles, the restaurant inside the restored stone building near the entrance to the Estate known as The Lodge. Between fabulous courses of gourmet dishes, Sammy came over to our group as part of her rounds to greet guests. Within minutes of being introduced it was as if we were already good friends and the stories flowed as naturally as if we had all known each other for years.
Growing up in a castle may seem like something out of a Cinderella fairy tale to most of us, but to Sammy, Castle Leslie was just her home. It was the place where her brother sawed away at the bottom stair of the grand staircase with a new set of carpenter tools he received one Christmas. That same staircase was where she liked to play, walking along the narrow ledge around its perimeter, hugging the pilasters as she made her way around the 2-story landing. (That is, “until the boobs came in’, as Sammy puts it, and she could no longer flatten herself to get around the stairwell safely!)
Sammy would walk along the narrow upper ledge halfway up the grand stairway!
It’s this kind of lack of pretention that makes both Sammy and Castle Leslie so welcoming, despite their pedigrees. All of the staff here make you feel at home as soon as you arrive, and although the accommodations and dining are top-notch, there’s nothing stuffy about the place. Whether you stay in the Lodge with its large boutique-style rooms or the Castle itself, with its grand architecture and four-poster beds, you can be sure to feel like you belong here, too.
Unless of course, you are bothered by ghosts…
What’s a Luxury Castle Stay in Ireland without Ghosts?
Every castle has its ghosts, and Castle Leslie is no exception. In fact, some guests ‘challenge themselves’ to stay in the haunted Red Room overnight, where over the years, Norman, a deceased family member has appeared to the room’s occupants (but always with benign intentions). His first appearance was actually two days before he died in battle when his mother, who was sleeping in the room, saw him appear beside the dresser. Since then Norman has been reportedly seen many times as a ‘Casper-like’ apparition. I can’t say whether he was a guest ghost at Sir Paul and Heather’s wedding, although the couple did stay in the Red Room ? but more likely because it offers one of the best views out onto the gorgeous grounds of the Estate, not because of its association with Norman’s ghost.
View towards Lake Glaslough
A Mini-Tour of Castle Leslie
We had the luxury of getting a bit of a mini-tour of some other rooms in the Castle proper including the Mauve Room, which has seen its fair share of regal occupants from Queen Margaret of Sweden to rock royalty’s Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful who stayed here in the 1960s.
Sleep where Mick Jagger once slept in what is now the Mauve Room
The Nursery is a charming family-friendly room that has been used by three generations of Leslie children and is a bright cheerful room with a built-in ensuite bath that has been whimsically disguised as a cottage.
The Nursery’s whimsical cottage hides a bathroom
Hotel guests or visitors can reserve Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Room on the main floor of the Caslte, a beautiful room with soaring windows that flood the space, and illuminate the delicate Asian-inspired blue wallpaper and impressive Italianate fireplace.
Afternoon Tea is served in the Blue Room
Or have a drink in the gallery with its arched rooms and wall murals decorating the walls. Even breakfast offers views that look like artwork!
Murals and tall archways are part of the bar’s gallery walls
Breakfast room with a view that looks like a painting!
Don’t Miss the Men’s Room
If the grandeur of the Castle is starting to overwhelm, come back to reality with a healthy dose of Leslie humour evident in the fixtures in the Men’s Room just off the Castle’s main entrance. If this doesn’t give you an idea of how down-to-earth the family is, nothing will.
Who says castle folk don’t have a sense of humour?
Gourmet Dining at Castle Leslie
I briefly mentioned dining at Snaffles earlier in this post, but Castle Leslie’s restaurants deserve a much more in-depth mention, as they reflect Executive Chef Andrew Bradley’s reputation for Michelin-quality cuisine. Bradley has literally taken the Castle Leslie Estate Cook Book and its centuries-old recipes and reinvented them with fresh, modern takes on the traditional, earning his menu two coveted AA Rosettes in 2017.
Snaffles offers gourmet dining with the freshest, finest local products.
What hasn’t changed in this reinvention of the traditional, is Bradley’s use of regional ingredients and artisan foods, farm-fresh beef and dairy products, and home-baked breads and baked goods. Anyone who says they didn’t eat well in Ireland hasn’t been to Castle Leslie.
And if you’re looking for the perfect way to start or finish that stellar meal, indulge in Ireland’s drink of the day by perusing Snaffles’ impressive Gin Menu, which boasts over 100 different gins from 13 countries. Guinness may be Ireland’s beer of choice, but when it comes to the spirit that cocktail connoisseurs are seeking, gin is definitely in.
More Than Just Candlelight and Cocktails
I only had a short time to experience a little of Castle Leslie’s charms, but there is much more to explore here than just elegant accommodations and gourmet meals: outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of the 1000 acres to hike, cycle, or kayak on the sparkling lake. Equestrian getaways of all kinds are huge here as well, whether you come with your own horse or ride one belonging to the estate. And when all that activity is done, there’s even a spa to pamper you and soothe any muscles you might have overworked. (Talk about the royal treatment.)
The Lodge at the entrance to the Estate is close to the equestrian centre and offers beautiful accommodations as well.
Whether you come here for the history, the gourmet dining or the bucolic setting and everything it offers, Castle Leslie has all the inspiration you need to make this a fairytale getaway.
All that’s left is for you to write your own story.
Special thanks to Tourism Ireland who hosted my visit at Castle Leslie.
Jane Canapini is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada and the North American Travel Journalists Association. She established GrownupTravels.com in 2014 to share information and tips based on personal experience so her readers could get the most out of their travels.
I have stayed here and loved every minute. Everything and everyone was very nice. My room was great and the food yummy. The castle is a must stay.
Right? And after all, who doesn’t want to stay in a castle every chance they get?! It’s one of the best things about visiting Ireland, in my opinion.
Great job profiling this interesting castle. It’s probably out of my price range to stay but I’d certainly love a meal there.
You’d be surprised at how affordable some of these castle stays are vs comparable traditional hotels – worth spoiling yourself for the experience sometimes!
I love castles, so many stories and history, it’s awesome!
Me too, Nat. Any opportunity to stay in something unique and historic and I’m there!
Castle stays are something you dream about, and the idea that you can really taste that life, if only for a day or two, is wonderful. We got two nights in a chateau in northern France many years ago, and it was, indeed, dreamy. Castle Leslie sounds like it fits the fantasy perfectly. Does the family still live there as well? It must be weird to have strangers staying in the rooms you grew up in.
Sammy Leslie still lives in the castle in her own ‘wing’ and hearing her stories about living there as a child makes it really hit home that you are in her home. But I think she is happy to see that her work to develop the castle into a destination hotel has helped keep it from deteriorating like so many other properties.
Well, yet another stretch to add to the bucket list. I’m a little concerned though that Mick Jagger will think I’m stalking him. I stayed at a resort in Bali where he’d been, and I’m afraid that two such encounters would pass the bounds of coincidence. But, I guess I’m willing to chance it for such a lovely setting. Next time in Ireland.
Ha ha! I’m sure Mick wouldn’t mind if another fanboy followed in his footsteps to Ireland as well, Tom!
Your images and stories have convinced me that I must move Castle Leslie to the top of my to-do list for next time I visit Ireland.
I wish we had some more time there, Carole, because of the opportunity to do some of the activities on the grounds. I would’ve loved to hike and kayak there. So allow at least 2 days!
Your trip to Ireland sounds amazing! Wow, staying in a castle looks like so much fun. I’ve never been to Ireland but it was highlighted as a top travel destination at the New York Times Travel Show.
If you do make it to Ireland I would definitely include a castle stay – we’ve done a couple and each one is unique in its own way. Plus the Irish are so welcoming.
My boyfriend and I have been talking about a stay at a castle in Ireland so this post is timely! Everything about Castle Leslie sounds wonderful, and even the lodge at the entrance is enchanting.
I would definitely recommend it, Patti. The Lodge is probably a little more affordable, but I absolutely loved my room there and the dining is excellent.
Wow! Your photos of Castle Leslie are so amazing! I would love to stay there. Ghosts or not!
I’d be happy to ‘entertain’ the ghost of Mick Jagger someday! 😉 But that man will live forever, I think!
These are the kinds of reasons my daughter chose to get married in a Scottish castle too: the history, the gourmet dining, and the bucolic setting. I didn’t know it was affordable, too. Certainly, we should compare with a luxury hotel before we book our next special getaway.
My attitude is, whenever you get the chance to stay in a castle, do it! Not that I’m a princess, but staying in a piece of history is something you can’t do everywhere so take advantage whenever you can to walk in the footsteps of generations past.