Just an hour from Dublin, Kilkea Castle combines world class culinary delights, exciting, characterful meeting spaces and stunning experiences with an amazing history that dates back to 1180.
One of the oldest venues we’ve ever had the pleasure of doing a showcase on, Kilkea Castle is an example of incredible maintenance work that has kept this site in operation since it was first built nearly a millennium ago. Originally the mediaeval stronghold for the Earl of Kildare, the magnificent grey stone castle has now become a go-to destination for those travelling to the east coast of Ireland.
There are 135 rooms at Kilkea Castle, spread between their lodges, newly renovated courtyard rooms and 11 magical rooms within the castle itself, there’s so many options for guests at your event to stay at - or even within - this amazing historical landmark.
This venue doesn’t rest on the laurels of its history however, Kilkea Castle is a stand out spot for events large and small. Between the four exciting escape rooms and four wonderful meeting spaces, each imbued with a burst of the venue's decadent past, there’s so much to choose from when hosting an event here!
The team here have focussed on the experience of visiting this magnificent castle, and we’ve got to say they’ve nailed it. As you enter Kilkea Castle, the long driveway through gorgeous forestry opens up onto an amazing view of this immense castle. The five story tall hunk of imposing stone stands before all of the 180-acre site and sets the tone for the calibre of event you’re here to attend, this is a top notch destination, not just any old place to have a meeting room.
The venue is only fifteen minutes from the nearest train station and an hour from your closest airport. Dublin itself is an hour away so flying into the city is often the way to go for international guests attending your event at this historic location. The estate is secure and private with 200 parking spaces, coach parking and a dedicated loading in and out entrance for larger event apparatus. It’s always worth noting the impressiveness of older venues who must shoulder both the history of a site, and also the need to adapt and bring about modern functionality to a venue.
That balance between modern functionality and timeless class is absolutely the bedrock of all of the rooms at Kilkea Castle. For event-profs, we couldn’t help but note the opportunities available with a full Castle Hire which sees you rent out the entire castle exclusively for your event, imagine a board meeting in which all stay in this historic venue, relax in the lounge by the crackling fire and then get down to business in a space like The Baronial Hall. This would be an unforgettable way to make a small scale event a big success.
Otherwise on the room front, Kilkea Castle offers Courtyard rooms which are the freshest suites of the lot, bathrooms with floor to ceiling marble and incredibly detailed, clean furnishings make these suites feel luxurious and regal, while having a more modern feel to them. The lodges at Kilkea Castle have some of the same touches, with plenty of natural light, ensuite bedrooms, excellent Wi-Fi (not a given in a rural spot like this!) and designated car parking. The lodges are fantastic places to put up a larger number of guests for bigger events that match that grandeur of this great venue!
Despite Kilkea Castle being an amazing place to host a high-energy, productive and exciting event or awayday, there’s also so many ways to unwind here. Whether it’s with tennis on the newly refurbished courts, golf on the 18 hole championship course that sprawls around the estate, or a walk through the surrounding forestry, this slice of rural Ireland is a brilliant way to get out of your own head before or after a big event.
There are other ways to wind down too thanks to the brilliant spa at Kilkea Castle which boasts a focus on health and beauty. One touch we really liked was a focus on skincare at the spa here which sees two distinctive lines of treatments, “Comfort Zone” and “Mervue Organic” take the focus on rejuvenating you after a long week! The spa here is award-winning and it’s not hard to see why. Rainfall showers, gorgeous stone-wall panelling and a boutique feel greet you into this moodily lit lower ground area that is optimised for relaxation.
While the events here are thinking about how best to cater for you, they’ve also got a crack team of sustainability specialists who are looking out for the gorgeous Irish environment that the venue is so lucky to bask in and makes events at the castle so special. The team here operate an organic vegetable garden within the venue’s grounds, as well as using a full gamut of sustainable cleaning products to make sure turnovers leave rooms clean AND green!
Lastly, but absolutely not least, we have to talk about the dining experiences available at Kilkea Castle, all in rooms available for exclusive hire. There’s three restaurants and three bars here across the Castle and its estate. Of the bars, our favourite was The Keep, this is located on the ground floor of the castle and is the absolute best place to enjoy a cracking pint of Guinness. Dining wise, you can take your pick for guests at your next event - The Bistro is the newly remodelled restaurant in the clubhouse just off the castle, which looks out over the 9th hole of the 6200 metre golf course. Hermione’s is a brilliant spot to hire for family parties or drinks receptions and dinners and when it’s not in private use, is known for its Sunday lunch service. Lastly, if you’re looking to give guests a fine dining experience the hotel has exactly that in the Fine Dining room that overlooks the Rose gardens and signature 18th hole of the venue!
The way that Kilkea Castle approaches events, meetings and conferences is exceptional, and while not traditional meeting rooms, we wanted to give a shout out to some brilliant spaces that sort of embody the ingenuity of the events team here - escape rooms. Into the grounds the team have had four Escape Room experiences built which are perfect for team building and awaydays. You can pick from the Knights Round Table experience or Shackleton’s Quest, or alternatively, split your team into two and go to battle in the Dueling Dungeons. This is such an innovative way to change the way that we do events, especially at historic venues like Kilkea Castle!
Now for the more traditional meeting spaces, which can be found dotted around the grounds. All of the meeting spaces have a focus on Natural light and character, and it’s not hard to see this come through in all three of our highlighted spaces!
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MEETING SPACE HIGHLIGHT: De Lacey - Conference centre
Adjacent to the castle, this room feels modern and fresh with standout light-fixtures that give the room a warm glow. The medium sized space means that training or large meetings would suit this space fantastically. We love the touch of elegance with the quirky seating options available in this room that really infuse it with that aforementioned character.
Natural daylight: No
Room size: 241.92 Sq.m
Theatre style layout – capacity: 220
Cabaret style layout – capacity: 70
Dinner – capacity: dinner in Baronial - 140
Drinks reception – capacity: 200 in baronial
AV equipment: 16ft x 10ft screen, Panasonic lumen laser vision projector, built in screen and projector, multimedia system with surround sound, multiple AV access points
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MEETING SPACE HIGHLIGHT - Baronial Hall
Just a few steps from the castle’s entrance, the baronial hall is an amazing space for an after wedding drinks reception or buffet. There’s plenty of natural light that flows into this room with unbelievable stonework across one of the walls that stands out, alongside over ten (yep, count em’) chandeliers, as this room’s centrepiece.
Location: own building, adjacent to castle
Natural daylight: Yes
Room size: 365.92 Sq.m
Theatre style layout – capacity: 320
Cabaret style layout – capacity: 150
Dinner – capacity: 270
Drinks reception – capacity: 300
AV equipment: 2 mics and surround sound
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MEETING SPACE HIGHLIGHT - Albatross
A little walk from the Castle is the Albatross suite which features sloped ceilings, some raw brickwork and a slightly smaller room that make for a great place to hold a board meeting or small private dinner!
Location: second floor clubhouse
Natural daylight: Yes
Room size: 80.83 Sq.m
Theatre style layout – capacity: 45
Cabaret style layout – capacity: 32
Dinner – capacity: 40
Drinks reception - capacity: 50
AV equipment: projector & screen, webcam, tv
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Summary
Kilkea Castle is a brilliant example of an events team who know how to put an exciting spin on history with their aptitude for the latest and greatest in the events world. This is a fantastic venue with so many options for your event is unlike much else in Dublin, our Destination of the Month!