The historic city of Sligo with airport is approx. 60 km and 60 minutes away. Sligo is one of the most picturesque places in all of Ireland. It's rugged landscapes rival those of tourist destinations like Killarney and Wicklow, but have gone largely unnoticed and therefore, provide the beauty without the crowds!
Welcome to Belleek Castle, a genuine Castle hotel. Enter the Castle and be welcomed in the original Great Hall, an open fire with the sweet smell of burning turf to warm your steps back through half a millenium. Enjoy our attentive hospitality and our award-winning service right from the start: Here in Belleek Castle, you will leave hectic reality behind you.
Belleek castle is set In 1,000 acres of woodland and forestry, on the banks of the River Moy in the beautiful County of Mayo in Ireland.
History of Belleek
Belleek Castle was built between 1825 and 1831, on the site of a medieval abbey, one of four along the River Moy. Belleek was commissioned by Sir Arthur Francis Knox-Gore. The manor house was designed by the prolific architect John Benjamin Keanes, and the neo-gothic architecture met the taste of the time, when medieval styles became fashionable. The Knox-Gores lived in Belleek until the early 1940’s.
Marshall Doran, a merchant navy officer and an avid collector of fossils and medieval armour, acquired the run down property in 1961, restored it and opened it as a hotel in 1970. Some of the rooms are in 19th style, whilst most of the interior design has a medieval and nautical touch.
Marshall, being quite a craftsman, did a lot of the work himself, assisted by John Mullen, and supervised the restoration expertly. Today, the Castle is owned by the Mayo Trust and managed by Marshall’s son Paul Doran and Ms. Maya Nikolaeva.
Restaurant
You may wine and dine at your leisure, become involved in the “Drunken Bullock” (your steak flambéed at the table) and served from a sabre all a flame.
Our cuisine reflects the very best Mayo has to offer. We are so lucky to have fantastic Beef, Lamb and game. The wonderful West Coast delivers to us fresh seafood daily. Ballina is world famous for Salmon and Seatrout.
Classic & Imaginative Cooking.
The Kitchen team is led by local chef Stephen Lenahan, who has developed a philosophy to use classic and imaginative cooking with local, seasonal ingredients from our land, sea and air, combining a depth of flavour with the traditions of the Castle.
Recently the restaurant has received critical acclaim from the well respected critic Georgina Campbell, we have won the "Just Ask" Restaurant of the Year 2014 Award, and were delighted to have received the prestigious 2 Rosettes award from the AA.
This award is given to restaurants which achieve a high level of cookery skills with specific attention to selection of ingredients, setting the restaurant apart from others.
Rooms
All our charming rooms are individually furnished with antiquities and period decor to keep the romantic spirit of the Castle alive. Some of the rooms have beautiful four poster beds and offer period experience to our residents.
