Lough Rynn Castle Hotel

Photos of Lough Rynn Castle Hotel

Rooms at Lough Lynn

Lough Rynn Castle Estate and Hotel, Leitrim, Ireland is comprised of 52 unique bedrooms and suites, 43 of these have been completed to date. The Castle Bedrooms offer a wonderful mix of old world elegance and up to the minute standards and facilities including air conditioning and broadband access. The Estate's former stables and pheasantry have been converted into an additional 15 wonderfully individual bedrooms decorated with a medieval theme.  The O'Carolan and Clements Suites have been designed to a standard never before hotel experienced in this beautiful pocket of rural Ireland. Both the Eastern Range and Estate Managers House are the most recent development and comprise of 16 bedrooms with a twin and double room configuration. All rooms are tastefully decorated with rich luxurious fabrics and preserve the original house features.

The Sandstone Restaurant

The Sandstone Restaurant offers an elegant Fine Dining experience which is unique in the region. With research and tasting of local fresh produce our Head Chef Jean Michel Chevet has created a series of Table d'Hote and A la Carte menus which use suppliers from Leitrim and the surrounding counties. Our wines have been carefully selected from vineyards across France, Italy, Spain and the New World. The Sandstone Restaurant is open daily for lunch from 12 noon until 2.30pm and for dinner from 7pm until 9.30pm.

The Cocktail Bar

The Cocktail Bar is open daily for drinks service and provides a welcome reception for a daytime visit or indeed a sophisticated pre dinner cocktail.  The bar leads into a most elegant blue themed Piano Room rich with atmosphere which offers beautifully serene views of the manicured lawns and lake.  The room has been decorated in a handmade de Gournay wall-covering specially created with Lough Rynn Castle in mind.

John McGahern Library

The John McGahern Library has been named in honour of the eminent novelist who died in March 2006 and hailed from the local area of Mohill. The room is intended as a sanctuary for guests where one may choose from the extensive and important collection of Irish novels and Biographies including some signed first editions by the most famous Irish writers of the last one hundred years. John McGahern was recently revered by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (the Irish Prime Minister) as Ireland's greatest writer when he officially opened the library on the 9th November 2006. Among those gathered was filmmaker and screenwriter Ronan Gallagher who captured the day’s events on camera. With a wonderful soundtrack from internationally renowned traditional Irish band Kila, the resulting short film ‘Amongst Friends’ beautifully captures the mood and sentiment of the day and contains contributions from An Taoiseach and Madeline McGahern among others.

History of Lough Lynn Castle

Lough Rynn Castle belonged to one of the most notorious landlords of 19th century Ireland: William Sydney Clements, 3rd Earl of Leitrim - or simply Lord Leitrim. The Clements family in Ireland has its origins in the Cromwellian campaigns in the mid-1600s, when Daniel Clements was granted lands in County Cavan. The association with Lough Rynn began in 1750, when Nathaniel Clements acquired about 10,000 acres in the Mohill area, though no Clements settled on the estate until 1832. While Nathaniel Clements died without acquiring the title he craved, he had laid effective groundwork for his son Robert. Robert was more political than his father and set his sights on gaining an earldom. The records show that he expended considerable effort on petitioning for the title and eventually succeeded through a combination of skilled political manoeuvring, social positioning and sheer persistence. 

In his mid-twenties, Robert took over the management of his father's new estates in Leitrim. Although he did not live on the estate, he used it as a springboard to establish his political career. In 1759 he was appointed High Sheriff of Leitrim, and gave his address as Lough Rynn, Mohill - the first official recording of the name. Roberts career was more of a political one and in 1795, after 10 years of great persistance, he was finally rewarded with the title, The Earl of Leitrim. Robert died at the age of 79, satisfied with his life's work.

Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim inherited the title and the Lough Rynn estate in 1804. Nathaniel divided his time between Dublin, London and his main residence at Killadoon, County Kildare. He maintained a close interest in Lough Rynn's affairs but only visited there occasionally and rarely for a long period. He did spend more time there once his son Robert took over the management of the estate. One of his more protracted visits was to lend his support to his son when Robert was seeking election to Parliament. 

Robert Clements inherited his father's Whig seat and, except for a two-year break, held it from the age of 20 until his early death in 1839. Robert combined his father's political outlook with a resolve to do something about the state of the land. He accepted the 2nd Earl's view that it was the sacred duty of a landowner to live on his property, give employment and see to the welfare of the people. He encouraged the most modern methods of farming and kept a close eye on his tenants.
The 'Castle' is built
In 1833, Robert built a comparatively modest tudor-revival style house overlooking Lough Rynn and set about improving farming methods on the estate. He shared the view of many that the explosive population growth and over-reliance on the potato could ultimately bring disaster. At this time, some 17,000 people lived in and around Mohill, the nearest town to Lough Rynn, making it significantly more populated than it is today. A major proportion of that population were families of poor labourers who relied on casual labour from small farms and who lived a wretched existence.

When Robert Clements died in 1839, management of the Estate (and the title of Viscount Clements) passed to his brother William Sydney Clements. Sydney took full ownership of the estate and became 3rd Earl of Leitrim, Lord Leitrim, on the death of his father in 1854. Sydney is the most notorious of all the residents of Lough Rynn Castle and is remembered mostly for callous and merciless acts against tenants. But at the beginning he continued the work he and his brother had started and was perceived as `a just and generous man and of benevolent disposition'. It was only later, after he became 3rd Earl, that he began to earn his reputation as a ruthless landlord and pitiless evictor.

Lough Rynn Castle Estate has so many interesting features people have been coming here for years to roam the lands. But by the time it has been completely restored, Lough Rynn Castle Estate will be something else entirely. An estate which was once the finest in Leitrim is becoming one of the finest in the country. While the setting is amazing, the luxury castle hotel is on a par with anything Ireland has to offer and the Championship Golf Course is the first Nick Faldo design in the Republic of Ireland. The gardens will be soon back to their former glory and be arguably the finest privately owned gardens in the country.

The following locations are in close proximity to Lough Rynn Castle

Carrick-on-Shannon (15 minutes)

This lovely town, often identified as 'Carrick' for short, is a center for boating and pleasure-cruising and is located on the River Shannon. It is the county town of Leitrim and is the site on what is thought to be the second smallest chapel in the world. Costello chapel on Main street. This vibrant town is situated on the banks of the beautiful River Shannon. The main Sligo-Dublin road-the N4 runs through the town. It is the boating capital of the inland waterways and boasts a number of modern marinas and harbours. Consequently it is one of the most popular destinations for cruise holidays in Ireland. Whether its a quite relaxing peaceful desitnation you are looking fro or a lively atmosphere, Carrick On Shannon has the amenities to offer both.

Roscommon Town (1 hour 20 mins)

Roscommon offers much to the holiday traveller and the more active-minded. The county is three-quarters bounded by water and has the longest stretch of the River Shannon of all the ten counties through which it passes. Angling is excellent in most areas while golf enthusiasts can enjoy the sport on many splendid courses. Walkers and cyclists have thousands of miles of undisturbed roads. There are many suggested routes available. Finally, there will be no shortage of festivals and events to add to the colour and excitement of any holiday.

Sligo (1 hour 20 mins)

Sligo, which has a close association with the poet W.B. Yeats offers a fine museum and gallery, much of which is devoted to the great man. Close to Sligo you will find 5,000 year-old megalithic tombs left by the ancient Celtic people. Also worth a look are the ruins of the 19th century Sligo Abbey. One interesting possible diversion will take you to the town of Knock where in 1879 Mary, Joseph, and St. John miraculously appeared. The number of witnesses on that evening and the many subsequent healings that have taken place here leave little doubt in many people's mind that something incredible did in fact happen here. A 12,000 seat Basilica was built to accommodate the vast number of visitors each year.

Athlone (1 hour 45 mins)

Athlone in County Westmeath, has been a strategic crossing point on the River Shannon for many centuries. Because of this position Athlone has played a prominent role in many Irish battles. Today Athlone is a busy boating centre as cruising on the Shannon has become very popular in recent years. During the summer months there is a constant stream of crafts of all size navigating up and down the river and through the loughs in the town. This makes Athlone seem more like a bustling port than an inland town. The town also has some great shopping with a vast array of knitwear, celtic crafts and souvenirs can be found. The town's most imposing historical feature is Athlone Castle situated on the west bank of the Shannon. It was built by the Normans in 1210 on the site of an older wooden fort. Also, do not miss the impressive monastic site of Clonmacnoise which is situated on the banks of the Shannon south of Athlone in County Offaly and dates back almost 1,500 years. St. Ciaran, the son of an Ulsterman who had settled in Connaught, chose the site in 545 AD because of its ideal location at the junction of river and road. You will see that he chose wisely.