Solis Lough Eske Castle
Star Rating::
Location: Donegal Town, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Size: 96 Rooms
Nearby: Step into the Solis Lough Eske Castle, and you step into an imposing Tudor-baronial castle, lavishly refurbished in 2007 and extended to create the modern comforts and graceful luxury of a world class boutique hotel. With stunning views amidst hundreds of acres of unspoiled woodlands, the landscape is as magnificent as the hotel itself.
Overlooking a stretch of countryside between Lough Eske and the Blue Stack Mountains, Lough Eske Castle, a Solis Hotel & Spa offers an exhilarating destination for holidays in Ireland. Book one of our Ireland holiday breaks, spa escapes, or midweek deals, and experience the adventure of a lifetime. The Castle is located within a short distance of the 7 wonders of the Northwest – a must see for all new visitors to the region. Walking enthusiasts can embark on the world renowned and globally popular International Appalachian Trail, part of which surrounds Lough Eske Castle in the form of the Bluestack Mountains. Solis Lough Eske Castle also offers a 3 hour cookery class with Executive Chef, Philipp Ferber, as well as kids’ activities, golf, surfing and water sports, equestrian and fishing.
Tenon Recommends: Solis Lough Eske Castle is one of the amazing castles stay options on the Irish Castles self-drive tour and made the list for one of the top most romantic places to stay in Ireland.
The Lough Eske area is closely identified with the O’Donnell’s, and the turbulent times of the Middle Ages including the Flight of the Earls and the Treaty of Mellifont. In a woodland to the northern side of the Castle, ruins of one of the O’Donnell’s castles can be seen, as well as at Murvagh. They would have lived here prior to moving to Donegal Town, Murvagh being the main residence. The Annuals of the Four Masters tells us that the earliest mention of the O’Donnells in Donegal Town was 1474 with both the abbey and castle being built around that time. The flight of the Earls from Rathmullen on the 14th of September 1607 saw the end of the O’Donnell power and it is assumed the family left that year on a small ship for Spain. On board were the chieftains of some of the leading Gaelic families of Ulster. Those chieftains who could not live with the new English order sought refuge with England’s main enemy, with the hope either of making a new life for themselves, or of living to fight another day.
In 1861 the new Lough Eske Castle was built on the site of an old Brooke mansion which itself was a rebuilding of the original Jacobean House. A date stone of 1621 with initials W.H. and I.M. remain in the castle yard. Mr. Brooke’s ancestors had come to own the Lough Eske property in 1717 through a marriage with the Lough Eske Knox’s. Thomas Brooke who built the castle was not a Brooke by birth. He was born Thomas Young, but changed his name to inherit the property.