Ticket Hall

Private visit in an Irish Castle Home

5.06 reviews

  • 2 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

Enjoy a private visit in Brackloon Castle, one of Ireland’s smallest surviving medieval castles still in use as a family home. Experience the relaxed Irish hospitality of the family who live here on an unhurried exclusive visit. We will take you through five floors and five hundred years of history in one building. Join us at the kitchen table and hear the story of the castle’s turbulent past and it's restoration. As you ascend the narrow spiral stairs discover original defensive features such as the murder hole, gunloops and bartizans. Relax in comfort around the open fireplace in the upper room and enjoy tea and refreshments with your host as you learn about the O'Maddens who built the castle and ruled the surrounding district for hundreds of years. Experience life as lived today in an authentic medieval Irish castle and the features that make this such an unexpectedly cosy and inviting family home.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Snacks
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Coffee and/or Tea

Itinerary

  1. Enjoy the convivial atmosphere of Brackloon Castle, one of Ireland’s smallest surviving medieval castles still in use as a family home. Rarely open to the public, experience the relaxed Irish hospitality of the family who live here on an unhurried private visit. We will take you through five floors and five hundred years of history in one building. Join us at the kitchen table and hear the story of the castle’s turbulent past and it's restoration. As you ascend the narrow spiral stairs discover original defensive features such as the murder hole, gunloops and bartizans. Relax in comfort around the open fireplace in the upper room and enjoy tea and refreshments with your host as you learn about the O'Maddens who built the castle and ruled the surrounding district for hundreds of years. Experience life as lived today in an authentic medieval Irish castle and the features that make this such an unexpectedly cosy and inviting family home.

    2 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

5.0

  • 56
  • 40
  • 30
  • 20
  • 10

Ratings come from 6 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point
20 minutes south from Junction 15 of the Galway to Dublin motorway (M6)
Pickup
Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by
Donal Burke
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Comfortable, flat non-slip footwear is needed.
  • Not recommended for young children or travelers with mobility challenges

How it compares in Galway

  • Its from-price is 58% below the median of the 303 experiences we list in Galway.
  • It is shorter than most of them.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 100 of 303.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Galway

Galway is a harbour city on Ireland's west coast, with a pedestrian old centre, traditional music, a seaside promenade and Connemara just to the west.

Galway stands where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay, and in the Middle Ages it was ruled by fourteen merchant families known as the Tribes, who built its stone houses and quays. The Spanish Arch recalls the trade with Spain, and Eyre Square, the Latin Quarter around Shop Street and Quay Street, and the Claddagh, a former fishing village that gave its name to the Claddagh ring, form the centre. The cathedral, consecrated in 1965, stands by the river.

Top-ranked sights in Galway: Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway Bay.

See all 303 experiences in Galway

Special offers in Galway

Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

Similar experiences

Hop-on hop-off in Galway

1 / 6

Three steps to add it

Plan with AIYour trip, day by day