This Kilkenny castle is among the most ‘wishlisted’ countryside stays in Ireland this Easter

You might be thinking that a three day weekend is the perfect opportunity for a mini staycation here in Ireland. You are not the only one who has thought about that.

This Easter, domestic destinations are proving to be very popular. Airbnb have reported a 14 per cent increase in rural bookings in Ireland over the Easter weekend, compared to last year.

In addition, Airbnb has also witnessed a remarkable surge of 36 per cent in searches for Irish family trips during the Easter holidays, compared to last year.

This year, an unusual property in Co Kilkenny has caught the eye of many staycation lovers as it has made it onto the list for one of the “most wishlisted countryside stays in Ireland”.

Tubbrid Castle, nestled in the beautiful countryside of Co Kilkenny combines both rural relaxation and history and would make the perfect location for a spring staycation.

This 15th century tower house in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny is also a 20 minute drive from Kilkenny City, another location steeped in history.

Tubbrid Castle brings the past into the modern world for its guests and was only recently restored to its former glory after being uninhabited for the last century.

The castle was built as part of a defensive structure to protect the Butlers of Ormond, with generations of families living within its walls, all allied to the Butlers of Kilkenny Castle.

According to the owners, both the castle and the land it is built on have both experienced their fair share of history. Back in 942 AD, an army of 1,000 Leather Clocks marched South alongside Muircheartach who was the King of modern-day Ulster, to avenge his allies who had been attacked by the King of Cashel, Callaghan. Right before the battle, the army looked to set up camp as close to enemy territory as possible. This so happened to be at Tubbrid, in an area now called Bán an Champa which translates to the Field of the Encampment. The owners also say the land has royal connections, as King Muircheartach is said to have slept in a fort on the exact land where Tubbrid Castle now stands.

However, as time passed the castle stood abandoned and fell into dereliction as the structure began to rot and decay. But a man called John Campion Senior envisioned a different future for the castle and worked over several years to restore the castle to its former glory, before John Campion Junior took over the restoration in 2016.

Having been completely restored, Tubbrid Castle is now a three-bedroom Airbnb. Up to eight guests can stay in the castle at one time, allowing them the chance to experience living in a real-life medieval Irish Castle. One group can only book the castle at one time, so you will have the entire castle all to yourselves.