A ‘splendidly labyrinthine’ Victorian pile overlooking a lake, this castle in name only is Ireland’s brilliant riposte to the corporate blandness of many modern hotels.

A short stroll from the world’s oldest distillery, this amiable 17th-century coaching inn on the Causeway Coastal Route is an eclectic jumble of ancient and modern.

Overlooking Killarney national park, peaceful repose greets travellers on the Wild Atlantic Way at the O’Donahue family’s large spa hotel encircled by a spectacular mountainscape.