Before the Ireland trip, Lauren posted a Facebook status asking for recommendations.



Through that Facebook status, we received the ultimate tease: a possible connection at Adare Manor. Before the trip, we had not even heard about this Georgian castle, but once this status was posted, we Googled and fell in love faster than Kim Kardashian. Lauren immediately contacted the highlighted fellow, who spoke with his mother, who then spoke with the said family friends, who informed the chain of communication they no longer owned the hotel. There went the dreams of a free night or two living out a fairy tale. But alas, we were already too in love to miss out on seeing the magical place in person.

Adare Manor, now a 5 star hotel, sits in the village of Adare, known mostly for its tourism surrounding the characteristic thatched cottages. The castle began construction in the 1830s by the 2nd Earl of Dunraven. However, the Earl died in the 1850s and the majestic manor was still incomplete. His son, the 3rd Earl of Dunraven, completed the project and it was completed in the 1860s. The house was later sold in the early 1990s to a family from Florida, the Kanes, who renovated and restored the building.

Upon pulling into the manor with our unworthy-of-the-driveway Hyundai, we saw a sign for guests only. Psh... we had come all this way, we were going. We parked ourselves in the lot just past the hotel and our dirty, traveling selfs walked the gorgeous grounds and our fondness only grew. We did not want to leave. We heavily debated canceling our first night in the next destination, the Cliffs of Moher, and forking over the cash for a night of luxury. We then decided that we probably shouldn't even step inside, so instead spent our time wiggling our toes in the grass under a lush shade tree.

Rooms start at 145€/night - not bad for sleeping in a royal home.

Am I right or am I right?