With the magnificent 13th-century castle rising above the 350-acre estate in County Mayo, Ashford Castle is truly exceptional. And as the only hotel in Ireland to achieve two prestigious Five-Star Forbes Rankings, having this week earned the coveted award for its spa, it’s also truly luxurious. But that’s not the only reason why Ashford Castle is the ultimate Mother’s Day getaway. From the stunning location and historic rooms to the lavish amenities and world-class service, Ashford Castle promises to treat your mom like royalty this Mother’s Day. 

Experience it: Ultimate Ireland

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The Spa

Having recently been named as the only Forbes Five-Star spa in Ireland (only ten properties in Europe have achieved this status), you won’t find a better place to relax and rejuvenate than The Spa at Ashford. There’s a relaxation pool with jets, a steam room, and a terrace overlooking the peaceful Lough Corrib, along with an extensive treatment menu including massages, body wraps and facials. Beyond the classics, you’ll find heated stone beds and crystal therapy treatments. You’ll be in expert hands with skilled therapists and they only use organic products from the iconic Irish brand, VOYA. 

The soothing atmosphere has been perfectly crafted with low lighting, gorgeous decor, wall-to-wall windows, and a stunning mural depicting the Celtic tree of life by South African artist Jane du Rand. Our pick for your mom this Mother’s Day getaway? Go with the 60-minute Ashford Castle Ritual. From the warm Elemis massage and frangipani hair mask, to the therapeutic scalp massage, Superfood Pro-Radiance facial with Hydra Gel eye compresses, and pressure-point foot massage, this is the ultimate full-body experience.

Read more: Ashford Castle: An Idyllic Country Escape

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The Bedrooms

The best Mother’s Days ensure mom gets a good night’s rest and Ashford Castle certainly delivers here. Each room and suite is designed with impeccable taste and attention to detail. From the plush beds and luxurious linens to the antique furnishings, the bedrooms exude timeless elegance. Every room offers breathtaking views of the castle’s expansive grounds, Lough Corrib, or the River Cong, making for an unforgettable stay for your mom.

Read more: From a festive cruise to parading puddings, this is how Ashford Castle celebrates Christmas

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The Dining

Your mom will dine like royalty at Ashford Castle, with a variety of dining options and locations. Start the day with a sumptuous breakfast in the regal George V Dining Room, where you can savor both traditional Irish and international dishes. For a more casual atmosphere, visit the cozy Dungeon, where you can enjoy bistro-style fare, including Irish-inspired dishes.

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In the evening, indulge in a fine dining experience at the renowned Cullen’s at the Cottage. You also have the option to enjoy farm-to-table delicacies at the Chef’s Table. Here, the estate’s Executive Chef uses only the freshest ingredients from Ashford’s gardens and local producers. No Mother’s Day getaway would be complete without a traditional afternoon tea in the elegant Connaught Room, where you can enjoy a delightful selection of sandwiches, pastries, and teas. If your mom has a sweet tooth, be sure to sample some of the signature pastries at Paula Pastry, the new pâtissier & chocolate concept located on Ashford Estate.

Read more: Hives and honey: Meet Ashford Castle beekeeper, Steve Watson Oughterard

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The Grounds

Ashford Castle’s remarkable 350-acre estate offers a range of opportunities to get some fresh air in the great outdoors. You can wander through the immaculate Victorian Walled Garden, go on a lake cruise, or take a peaceful stroll along the shores of Lough Corrib. If your mom has an adventurous side, you can go horseback riding, cycling, fishing, clay shooting, try archery, or have a round of golf on the nine-hole course.

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You can even get acquainted with the falcons at Ashford’s Falconry, the oldest established Falconry School in Ireland. Whether you roam through the ancient woodlands or explore the 800-year-old castle that has been home to royals and the Guinness family, you’ll cherish this enchanting experience with your mom.

Read more: ​​Our top 10 hand-picked luxury hotel stays for 2023

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The Services

Ashford Castle prides itself on exceptional service. From the moment you arrive, the dedicated staff will make your mom feel like a queen. Ask your concierge to arrange an experience, or relax in the on-site cinema, or billiards room. You can even go wine tasting in the underground wine cellar. Whatever you do, your mom is sure to feel appreciated with a Mother’s Day getaway at Ashford Castle.

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You can enjoy a luxurious three-night stay at Ashford Castle as part of our Ultimate Ireland luxury tour. The experience begins with a royal welcome as a lone piper escorts you over the drawbridge to the estate. Your stay includes dinner at the exceptional Cullen’s at the Cottage and a unique falconry experience. You’ll also enjoy a tour of the castle to see the beautifully restored castle interiors and original artwork and antiques. 

The exquisite Ashford Castle hotel majestically presides over a 350-acre estate in County Mayo, Ireland. Home to landscaped gardens, ancient woodland and an emerald lake, the lands are also a sanctuary for the Irish native black bee.

A key part of the hotel’s sustainability strategy, we caught up with Ashford Castle beekeeper Steve Watson Oughterard to learn more about the hives and their residents.

Ashford Castle

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Quaint in size but grand in character, the pretty village of Cong in County Mayo houses the famous Ashford Castle. Formerly home to the Guinness family, this luxury hotel boasts sumptuous rooms, antique furniture and unique historic features at every turn. Set upon an idyllic 350-acre estate, making it a dreamy location for a relaxing and picturesque retreat.

Travel with Luxury Gold and on arrival a lone piper escorts you over the drawbridge. Dine like royalty in Ashford Castle hotel’s esteemed George V Dining Room. Built specially for King George V in 1905, this room bestows a grand sense of occasion. During your stay, choose to take part in a unique falconry experience at the oldest established falconry school in Ireland. And enjoy the spa. And buy and eat honey for your breakfast.

Discover this on: Castles & Kingdoms, Ultimate Ireland

Read more: Ashford Castle: An idyllic country escape

Honey, hives and sustainability

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Ashford Castle is a Red Carnation Hotel, a family-run collection of 19 exceptional properties around the world. Unique and special, The Red Carnation Hotels share a strong commitment to sustainability. As part of the TTC Family of brands they work together with the Treadright Foundation to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®.

Seeking to minimise environmental impact, hives are installed across Red Carnation hotels. Not only preserving the precious honeybee, this contributes to the pollination of surrounding ecosystems. Each hive enriches an area of up to three miles around it, in turn dramatically reducing  food miles. The hives are part of the hotels’ commitment to using local ingredients and to preserving the environment.

The beehives of Ashford Castle are buzzing with activity. Here the bees of Ashford Castle Estate have been busy making fresh Irish honey from the nectar of Cong’s local flowers and plants. Hives of native black bees have been encouraged to make the castle grounds their home, and are taken care of by beekeeper Steve Watson Oughterard and a dedicated team.

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Meet the native Irish black bee

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“There are 100 bee species native to Ireland,” Steve explains. “Twenty-one of these are bumblebees and 78 species of solitary bees. However, there is only one Honey bee native to Ireland and that is the native Irish black bee. It is believed that the native Irish black bee was established in Ireland between 4,000 to 10,000 years ago.

“The native Irish black bee has a number of characteristics and adaptations that contribute to it being an ideal fit to its Irish environment. Firstly foraging. They will fly at temperatures as low as 5.5°C (46°F) and even in drizzle or light rain (particularly important in Ireland!). Secondly overwintering. The bees are efficient thermo-regulators and are built for effective heat retention during long winters.

“Thirdly there is thriftiness. The queen attunes her egg-laying to the weather patterns. She pauses earlier in autumn to ensure there are no unnecessary mouths to feed overwinter, so the winter cluster has plenty to survive on until the following spring. And lastly, Propolis. The native black bee is an avid producer of this dark brown, resin-like material. It is used for structural stability and protection of the colony from the elements. It also has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.”

Planting a bee paradise 

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 “In Ireland the importance of bees as pollinators of crops and native plant species cannot be overstated,” Steve tells us. “It is estimated that almost three quarters of our Irish wild plants rely on insect pollinators, of which bees are most important.

“Around Ashford Castle some of the most important forage plants for the Honey bees include dandelion early in the year, bramble and clover mid-summer and ivy in the autumn. However, a wide variety of flowers and trees in the area are foraged for their nectar and pollen. The Castle’s sustainability, conservation and re-wilding policies have contributed immensely to the success of our Honey bee hives, along with all pollinators and general biodiversity on the estate.”

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On become a beekeeper

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 “I became interested in beekeeping when I returned to Ireland after working throughout Australia for 15 years,” Steve explains.  “I took an introductory course to beekeeping and started off with two hives, which grew to five by the end of that year, 15 the following year and so on….. suffice to say I was hooked and now manage in excess of 100 hives.

“It is a challenging and particularly interesting pursuit, as every day with the bees is a learning day. Even in winter when there is no direct work with the bees, I am busy as I am currently studying for a diploma in apiculture.

“My role as beekeeper at Ashford Castle hotel is to manage the hives in our apiary throughout the year. The vast majority of my time is spent there between mid-spring and early autumn. I will typically check each hive every 7-10 days. This involves checking the queen is present and/or laying, ensuring there is adequate stores and room in each hive and looking for any evidence of disease.

“Early summer can be particularly busy with swarm control measures. Usually, the honey crop is taken off towards the end of August and I take it back to my purpose-built honey room for extraction and bottling. I don’t remove all the honey and leave the bees with adequate stores for the winter; however, they will also continue to store ivy honey up until November.”

The secret to delicious Ashford honey?

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“There is no secret to the delicious Ashford honey” Steve tells us. “It is 100% from the flowers and trees in the area. I do not feed the bees any sugar syrup at any point in the year. I also practice a natural method of beekeeping where I do not treat with any chemicals for disease, instead use integrated pest management, re-queening and brood break techniques amongst others.”

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Ensuring the future of the native Irish black bee

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“Preservation of our native Irish black bee is of great importance,” Steve emphasizes. “Aside from its significance as a pollinator, it is our only native Honey bee and uniquely adapted to our climate and conditions. It is threatened by hybridization with imported strains of non-native Honey bee, which also carries the risk of introducing foreign pathogens and parasites that could devastate our honey bee (and other bee) populations.”

How you can help

“One third of our bee species are threatened with extinction from Ireland,” Ashford Castle beekeeper Steve explains. “This is due to reduction in the number of trees, flowers and safe nesting sites in our landscapes.

“As a beekeeper, however, I like to keep it simple. Stop using pesticides and herbicides, sow more native plant species in your garden and allow some areas of garden to re-wild. In the end, I believe, measures that benefit Honey bees tend to benefit pollinators in general and so we all win.”

Related content: How your travels with Luxury Gold help conserve nature for future generations

Spend two nights at Ashford Castle on our Castles & Kingdoms and Ultimate Ireland luxury guided tours. Taste the delicious honey for yourselves and maybe purchase some to take home as a treat for family and friends. And know through your visit that you are helping preserve nature for future generations.

Ireland’s West Coast is a labyrinth of landscapes that evolve with every passing hour. Winding roads flanked by traditional stone walls, a magnificent coastline of dashing waves and expansive walks, and pretty villages and towns awash with character and charm.

And nestled in the West is the county of Mayo, the birthplace of Ireland’s first female President and home to one of the most historic and spectacular five-star hotels in Ireland, Ashford Castle, the only hotel in Ireland to have earned a Five-Star Forbes Travel Guide Ranking.

Niall Rochford, General Manager at Ashford Castle, invites you to take a look around the hotel and the 350-acre estate that envelops the castle, where guests have enjoyed exceptional levels of hospitality for more than 80 years: