Live Like a King--Support an Irish Castle

A multiturreted fortress dating to the 12th Century, Lismore Castle is high above the Blackwater River in County Waterford.

To a 20th-Century visitor, Lismore (which means great fort in Gaelic or Irish) epitomizes the most romantic moments in Irish history, when knights in shining armor were at their noblest and boldest.

This bastion is the Irish home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, whose official residence is Chatsworth in England. Until recently the 8,000-acre estate was off-limits to the passing traveler, but times have changed.

Due in part to the high costs of private castle-keeping, Lismore is now one of at least half a dozen family-owned castles that take paying guests on a weekly rental basis. It’s an Irish twist to the old concept of leasing a vacation home abroad.

If you have always dreamed of living like a king or queen in a castle, this idea may be for you.

Range of Accommodations

Some castles provide a full complement of staff--butler, chef and housekeepers. Others are rented on a self-catering basis (you do the cooking and housekeeping).

Accordingly, rates vary from $400 to $9,700 a week for the run of an entire castle. From 6 to 12 people can be accommodated in each castle, an ideal arrangement for families, several couples or groups of friends.

We recently sampled some Camelotlike experiences starting with Lismore, the bench mark of this group of rental properties.

Crossing an ancient seven-arched bridge to the castle’s front gate, we inched up the long driveway into the massive quadrangle. Although we tried to arrive without fanfare, the noise of our car doors resounded in the courtyard like a hundred horses in formation.

The butler promptly appeared to make us feel “at home.” As our bedazzled faces probably revealed, home was never like this.

Antiques and Heirlooms

Ambling through the castle’s halls and hollows, we saw many antiques and heirlooms, tapestries and hand-carved furniture.

Hundreds of watercolors of the castle fill the walls, along with old prints and family photographs, all depicting life at Lismore through the centuries.

The lore of Lismore goes back to 1185, when Prince John of England erected the first castle here on the site of an earlier episcopal palace. In 1589 it was presented to Sir Walter Raleigh but he never lived here, preferring to stay at his seaside home in nearby Youghal.

People who did make Lismore their home, however, include Richard Boyle, known as the Great Earl of Cork, and his 14 children. His son Robert, born at the castle in 1626, was a philosopher and the “father of modern chemistry.” Through the ages, guests have included at least three English kings, and Fred Astaire.

If you rent this castle you’ll enjoy full use of the candle-lit dining room, stained-glass ballroom, drawing room with ever-glowing fireplace and a well-stocked library (books from botany to Buddhism). All of the bedrooms have views of the river or countryside.

Outdoor Activities

Lismore’s grounds include well-tended gardens, orchards, a vinery, nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and a private stretch of salmon and trout waters along the River Blackwater.

If you catch a fish the chef will either cook it for your dinner or smoke it for you to take home.

For sightseeing, Lismore is within an hour’s drive of Waterford, Cork, Blarney, Cashel and Tipperary.

Two other castles, Glin in County Limerick and Mallow in County Cork, also are rented with full-time staffs. On the shore of the Shannon River, Glin has been home to the Knights of Glin for more than 700 years, and Mallow, a secluded estate on a bank of the River Blackwater, is the Irish residence of a successful American.

Ireland’s storied castles also come in smaller sizes and without a staff. A good example is Carraigin Castle, a restoration of a 13th-Century ruin set on a rural seven-acre estate next to a wildlife sanctuary on the shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway.

Somewhat modest but still authentic, Carraigin (which means little rock in Gaelic) is the home of an Irish-born stockbroker who lives in London. The structure can best be described as an enormous rock in the form of a fortified house with six-foot-thick walls, whitewashed inside and out.

Instead of regal heirlooms, its furnishings are an eclectic blend of tapestries, batiks, sheepskin coverings on wicker chairs and rockers, electric wall fixtures and knight- like figures hung above the huge open fireplace.

Do It Yourself

If you rent Carraigin you’ll have to cook and serve your own meals, but the kitchen is equipped with all modern conveniences. Carraigin offers opportunities for long walks in the countryside, boating on the lake or bird watching from the castle battlements.

It also is a convenient base for day trips to Galway, Connemara, the Aran Islands and County Mayo. At night we enjoyed playing tapes of medieval music and concocting banquets for two in the great dining hall with its cathedral ceiling.

Two other castles, Springfield in County Limerick and Cloughan in County Galway, also are available for rent on a do-it-yourself basis, usually at rates below $1,000 a week.

Ireland’s castles for rent are all within a two-hour drive of Shannon Airport. Rentals are available throughout the year; April to October is best for enjoyment of the gardens and outdoor facilities.

Each castle is centrally heated; the first three listed are fully staffed and the others are rented on a self-catering basis.

Rental Details

Lismore, County Waterford, is on an 8,000-acre estate along the River Blackwater between Waterford and Cork. A one-week rental, priced from $9,700, provides accommodations and all meals plus the services of a butler, chef, housekeepers and other staff.

Lismore has nine bedrooms and six bathrooms and is suitable for six to 10 guests. Amenities include gardens, nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, private salmon and trout fishing. For reservations, contact Paul Burton at Lismore Castle, Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland.

Glin, County Limerick, is on a 400-acre estate with gardens and walking trails by the River Shannon about 30 miles west of Limerick City and 45 miles from Killarney. A minimum two-week rental, at $5,500 a week, covers housekeeping and cooking staff and full use of the castle; food costs are additional. Facilities include four deluxe suites with private baths accommodating eight to 10 people. For reservations, contact At Home Abroad, 405 East 56th St., New York 10022, phone (212)421-9165.

Mallow, County Cork. A panorama of turrets, gables and mullioned windows, this 17th-Century castle is 22 miles north of Cork City on a 40-acre estate on a bank of the River Blackwater. Its interior is dominated by European antiques and floor-to-ceiling elm paneling harvested from the estate.

A charge of $6,500 a week provides eight to 12 people with the use of the entire house, including six bedrooms and six bathrooms, attended by kitchen and household staff. Food is extra. Grounds boast salmon fishing privileges, the ruins of a 15th-Century fortress and a rare herd of 70 snow-white fallow deer. For reservations, contact Michael McGinn, 319 Maryland Ave. N.E., Washington D.C. 20002, phone (202)547-7849.

Kilbeg Pier, Headford, County Galway. Dating to Norman times, this restored fortress is on seven secluded acres overlooking Lough Corrib about 20 miles north of Galway. Rented on a self-catering basis, it can accommodate up to 12 people in six bedrooms with two bathrooms.

Kilbeg Pier’s price is $500 to $1,000 a week depending on the time of year; bed linens and cooking utensils are supplied but electric and heating charges are extra. Weekend and short stay rentals also can be negotiated. For more information, contact Fiona Murphy, 14 East 17th St., Suite 6, New York 10003, phone (212)633-0849.

A Gothic Mansion

Drumcollogher, County Limerick. Set on a 240-acre farm less than an hour from Killarney or Limerick, this complex consists of a 16th-Century tower house and a Gothic mansion with pinnacled buttresses, plus a courtyard, tennis court, croquet lawn, patio and barbecue.

Deer, Sheep and Cows

Red and fallow deer, sheep and cows graze on the castle grounds. The interior decor, primarily of the 18th-Century, blends with such 20th-Century touches as an elevator and up-to-date kitchen. There are seven guest rooms and three bathrooms accommodating up to 12 people.

With a rate of $500 to $850 a week, Drumcollogher is normally operated on a self-catering basis, although the owners will cook and serve some meals for an extra charge. Linens and kitchen supplies are included in the rate but electricity and heating are extra. For more information contact Betty Sykes at Springfield Castle, Drumcollogher, County Limerick, Ireland.

Kilchreest, Loughrea, County Galway. A 97-foot rectangular tower, this restored 13th-Century fortress is on one acre of pasture 25 miles east of Galway and 40 miles from Shannon. The smallest of Ireland’s rent-a-castles, it is a narrow house of three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with arched doorways, medievally proportioned windows, a circular stone stairway and only one full room on each landing.

There is also a small round tower with a glass roof on one side for use as a sun room, and an enclosed barbecue. Charges are $400 to $700 a week, including linens and cooking supplies; electricity is extra. Some weekend and shorter rentals can be negotiated. Contact Michael Burke, Chanelle, Main Street, Loughrea, County Galway.

For more information on travel to Ireland, contact the Irish Tourist Board, 757 3rd Ave., 19th Floor, New York 10017, phone (212)418-0800.