One of the things that got me excited attending my first TBEX Conference was the location they chose for the 2013 European venue.

Dublin is steeped in such rich history that even when you are in the city centre, every street you walk on, or a building that houses high-street fashion brands are living pieces of history that existed centuries ago.

I decided I didn’t want to just walk by the historic parts of Dublin, I wanted to experience it at a greater depth.

So I was quite thrilled to have Clontarf Castle Hotel host me for an evening at their property.

LOCATION:

Clontarf (Cluain Tarbh) is a coastal suburb on the north side of Dublin. It is 2 miles, 10 minutes drive from Dublin City Centre ( we took the cab from city centre to the Clontarf Castle Hotel. Fare was reasonable by Dublin standards). It is 5 miles, 20 minutes drive from /to Dublin Airport.

Attractions nearby Clontarf Castle Hotel include St. Anne’s Park and Rose Gardens, Royal Dublin Golf Club, Dollymount Beach, and also the birthplace of author Bram Stoker.

HISTORY:

On 23rd April 1014, the historic Battle of Clontarf took place in the area. The story behind it as you can imagine is filled with treachery, political alliances and schemes (very Game of Thrones, if you are into it!). Long story short, the High King of Ireland at the time, Brian Boru, fought and won a battle against Sitric, who was the Viking king of Dublin.

Shortly after this victory though, while Brian Boru was praying in his tent, he was killed by a group of vikings who were retreating from the battle.

Such tragedy and history deserves great honour and commemoration, don’t you think?

So on April 2014 next year, a great millenia battle commemoration and re-enactment will be held at the Clontarf Castle Hotel. I sure would love to be there and witness the re-enactment!

ROOM:

We checked in at a Luxury Suite room. I was impressed with the size and layout of the room. I loved the extra space at the rear of the room for luggage and wardrobe. Wi-Fi is included in the stay.

The bed was comfortable , the only thing I wished was that the pillows were extra fluffy. However, that didn’t stop me from sleeping soundly through the night.

There were 2 nooks like this in the room and I absolutely loved it. I can imagine myself reading in that area for hours on end.

BATHROOM

Now I think it’s because I love the room quite a great deal that I feel the bathroom could have been bigger. There is nothing wrong with the bathroom as it is. It is clean, and has everything you would need (hairdryer can be found at the working desk in the room). It just pales in comparison to the themed room.

BREAKFAST

I absolutely loved breakfast at the Clontarf Castle hotel. I am not sure if it was just the ambiance, but I loved the selection of continental breakfast spread, the cereals and cheeses. You can also order omelettes/ hot meals if desired.

A tip: do wake up early and have a long, leisurely breakfast. Dublin’s weather plus the breakfast setting will be perfect to start your day!

RESTAURANTS/MEETING ROOMS

The Clontarf Castle Hotel is a popular venue for conferences, meetings, team buildings, and yes, as you guessed it– weddings!

Whatever the function or event your group has at the Clontarf Castle Hotel, I am most certain it’s NOT going to be a boring one. Definitely not your usual corporate setting, which makes things even more interesting!

HOTEL GROUNDS/MISCELLANEOUS

Now this is what I’m excited to show you. Being inside the Clontarf Castle Hotel is akin to being Alice in Wonderland. So many enchanting nooks and crannies to explore.

Let’s start with the decor. These 2 are just among the hundreds of interesting and historical decorations all over the castle:

The lobby of the hotel. Randomly decorated with stuffed animal heads, it reminded me of a lodge house in Montana. However this one isn’t overly done with the heads. I do like the unusual background of the check-in lobby : old fashioned keys. Very symbolical yet done in a modern style.

It was raining quite heavily when I arrived at the Clontarf Castle Hotel. But I didn’t mind at all because my favourite moments inside the castle was exploring the grounds and finding myself in medieval scenes of my vivid  imagination:

Alright, let’s snap back to reality! A jet-lagged travel blogger is more like it 🙂

CONCLUSION:

The guest profiles I saw at the Clontarf Castle Hotel consisted of: adult tour groups, corporate/business groups (for day events/meetings), and a few couples.

If I were to return to Dublin, I would love to spend another night or two at the Clontarf Castle Hotel with a group of my friends, ideally exploring the historical sights of Dublin by day, and listening to Irish ghost stories by night, spooking each other out in the historical and grand halls of the Clontarf Castle.

 

Clontarf Castle Hotel

Castle Avenue Clontarf Dublin 3