Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Take a walk through the cloister and down the gravel path behind the abbey. The for-
ested grounds are lush, and the stream water is incredibly clear. Cong's salmon hatchery
contributes to western Ireland's reputation for great fishing. The monks fished for more
than sinners. They built the modest
Monks' Fishing Hut,
just over the footbridge, right
on the bank so that the river flowed underneath. They lowered a net through the floor and
attached a bell to the rope; whenever a fish was netted, the bell would ring.
To reach
Ashford Castle
from the abbey, face the Romanesque/Gothic main entrance
and go left around the corner of the abbey, walking 15 minutes down the pleasant forested
laneontothegroundsofthecastle,whichishiddenbehindthetrees.Gardenlovershappily
hand over €5 to a kid hired by the castle to patrol the bridge, just so they can stroll the
lakeside paradise once owned by the Guinness beer family (entry fee in effect June-Aug,
usually free rest of year). The renovated Victorian castle rents some of the finest rooms
in all of Ireland, and casual gawkers are discouraged inside. Many scenes from
The Quiet
Man
were filmed on the castle grounds. President Reagan stayed here in 1984, and act-
or Pierce Brosnan chose these gardens for his wedding reception in 2001. Bought for €50
million in 2008, the castle was resold for €20 million in 2013, a Celtic Tiger bubble lesson
of the first degree. As you stroll the grounds, contemplate the fact that “tourism” (the no-
