Kilkea Castle was built in 1180 by Hugh de Lacy for Walter de Riddlesford. The castle and its grounds are steeped in history and myth. In 1414 the O’Moores and O’Dempseys were defeated here by the Lord Justice. The castle was nearly rebuilt in 1426 by Lord Kildare. It was restored in 1849.

Today Kilkea Castle is one of the finest luxury Castle Hotels in Ireland with 40 bedrooms (all en suite), restaurant, bars, indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steamroom and fully equipped gym in the fitness club and of course a top quality 18 hole golf course. A great deal of restoration was carried out on the castle in the 19th century.

Some of the activities include golfing, tennis, clay pigeon shooting, and fishing. There are also four horse race tracks within about 20 miles if you like the ponies. The castle has some beautiful gardens which you must see.

Golf
The Golf course measuring 6,100 metres off the championship tee has been developed in this magnificent setting, beneath the shadows of a Twelfth Century Castle. It allows the splendour of the Castle to be viewed from every fairway.

In constructing the course, the designers have cleverly used the river Greese as a natural hazard flowing through the grounds of the Castle. You will encounter the river at almost every hole. Two lakes have also been included in the course design, adding to the overall difficulty of the challenge.