Markree Castle Hotel Sligo

Location Markree Castle is located just off the main Sligo to Dublin Road (the N4), near the village of Collooney. The Markree Castle Hotel is an ideal location from which to explore the Sligo area as well as for making day trips into neighbouring counties of Donegal, Leitrim and Mayo. Markree Castle is a base from which to make drives and walks that take in the beauty of the Sligo  landscape that inspired WB Yeats.  From climbing up to Queen Maeve’s grave on the top of Knocknarea, to watching surfers from the comfort of a beach-front pub in Strandhill to a visit to historical Lissadell.Rooms Part of Markree’s eternal charm is the comfort and quality of the unique guest bedrooms.  Each is spacious, individually furnished with care.  The handmade curtains and bedspreads, antique furniture and amazing view out over the surrounding countryside make each room a haven for rest and relaxation.  All rooms are ensuite, with flat screen televisions, personal telephones and fluffy duck down duvets, providing you will all the modern comforts that you will need to enjoy your rural retreat.     Restaurant The hotel's chefs' experience travelling and working all over the world is seen in the unique and authentic cuisine at Markree’s Knockmuldowney Restaurant.  Here they combine world tastes with only the very best in local ingredients to create a menu of gastronomic delights that will tempt every tastebud.  Woodcock and wild fallow venison from the Markree estate are a seasonal specialty. Dinner is served nightly in the breath-takingly romantic Louis XIV dining room, where tables are always reserved for residents.  A light lunch and afternoon tea of homemade cakes, scones and biscuits are available in the gallery lounge daily from 12 to 6.  Estate Boasting the finest in Irish Victorian architecture, Markree Castle is also famous for its wonderful estate and gardens.  Situated on 800 acres on unspoilt park and woodland.  The river Unsin, one of the cleanest in Europe is home to otters and kingfishers as well as a whole host of other wildlife.  The estate has recently been included in studies of rare Daubenton’s Bats and native Irish Red Squirrels (which are regularly seen in the surrounding woodlands).  Early morning walks in the grounds will afford glimpses of foxes, badgers and hares as well as fallow deer.  A resident flock of Wensleydale sheep add a touch of domesticity to this wildlife haven. As well as providing a haven for Irish wildlife, Markree Castle boasts some of the very best in Victorian garden design. Leisure Activities Horse riding is available on the estate and clay pigeon shooting and archery can be arranged in advance. Sligo is a mecca for golfers with no fewer than a dozen of Ireland’s top golf courses within easy reach of this Sligo Castle hotel.