Kilkea Castle - Recommended Venue?

F@ces

Hi,

My fiance and I were at a wedding fayre in Kilkea Castle last weekend, and after seeing the place decided to make a provisional booking of a date. It looks fantastic

However, doing a quick google for reviews we found some travel comments that left a little to be desired. They were decidedly mixed.

Which begs the question - has anyone here had their wedding (or indeed been to one) there, and if so, comments would be very much appreciated (before we pay our deposit!).

Thanks in advance

barbiegirl

My sister went to a wedding there last year and she said that whilst the grounds were lovely for the photo's the actual ceremony was in a very lack lustre samey hall not the castle. For the price she felt it should have been more.
If it is a castle you want Kinnity weddings are actually in the castle, well the old stables of the castle so you have the room, went to a wedding in the Bert Hotel 2 years ago was great as is the Keadeen and Montague.

Optimus Caesar

Hi F@ces,

My wedding reception was in Kilkea castle.
My wife could give you a much more detailed description but for me Kilkea was an excellent venue.

The grounds are very nice and excellent for pictures.
The staff are very helpful. Our pictures etc went way over time and this wasn't a problem for them.
The food was excellent. People still comment to us how good it was.

The only complaint I would have had is that we got married on a very warm day and there was no air conditioning in the reception room (which isn't in the castle as pointed out) but I've heard that they have since put a system in but don't know how true this is.

I don't know what sort of numbers you are looking at but we had just under the 200 and it was fairly tight seating wise so that would be the max they could cater for.

All the best. You'll have a great day.

F@ces

Thanx for the replies folks, apologies only got back to this now.

We've booked it anyway, on the advice of others as well as some recommendations we've read elsewhere. Tripadvisor as it turns out were the only poor reviews, actual specific wedding ones (from weddingsonline etc) have been excellent.

Again - thanx

Sizzler

Hoping to get down and see this place shortly. Seems fairly pricey though They have a chapel though that you can get married in which is a huge bonus.

Previous poster, did you have any look in getting any extras thrown in FOC? All part of the booking experience

F@ces

Sizzler wrote: »

Hoping to get down and see this place shortly. Seems fairly pricey though They have a chapel though that you can get married in which is a huge bonus.

Previous poster, did you have any look in getting any extras thrown in FOC? All part of the booking experience

Hi Sizzler,

We went down to the wedding fayre a few weeks back, and basically loved it! It's really worth checking out. There are a few things to note as well. They have recently renovated some of the rooms and the bridal suite. Also, by the summer of this year there will be 33 golf lodges completed construction on the grounds (different company). We went down to see them the day we confirmed our booking, and got a tour of a finished one (10 currently finished). They are 3 bed lodges, where u can hire 1 or the entire lodge @ €400 for the lodge, or €133 for a room. So for 2 people sharing that's €65 pp sharing. So the lodges will hold 198 people eventually (33 x 6)! The hotel has 35 rooms with 20 automatically provisionally booked. They are €95 pp sharing (so more expensive). But it's down to what u like - old & charming, or new and modern!

Personally I'm happy with the rooms and decor, as the rooms will be used very little really when one thinks about it (party party party). I wouldn't complain about them, some people dont seem to get the thing that they are staying in the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland (12th century afaik). The reception hall is not in the castle as someone mentioned, it's a separate building close by. We loved it tbh, small and intimate for a crowd like we are having (140 or so), and not too "la de da" (we are both from Mayo so the relatives should feel comfortable).

The room for civil cermonies (or whatever they are called) is quite small. If u push them they will make more room for people (up to 90 - 100 I think). We are doing the church thing, as my fiance wants to (I dont consider myself religious).

We didn't try for any free stuff (if that's what u mean?). Tbh they were taking bookings goodo so why would they need to I suppose? Worth trying tho mate! As for price it doesn't seem all that more to me really, albeit we are not having a huge wedding?

Oh, and the staff were all sound to us as well.

Go see the place and see what u think. We fell in love with it!

Good luck!

Sizzler

^^ Cheeers mate. Really useful ! Going to pop down and see it this Saturday, will let you know what we think

Sizzler

€300 for the bar extension :eek: Eh no thanks.
I'll really never understand that one. How can this be justified when people are going to spend a few grand behind the bar when otherwise there would be nothing doing.