Your chauffeur will meet you in the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport, or collect you from your Dublin City address, and take you and your luggage directly to Kilkea Castle in Co. Kildare. There’s no sharing with other passengers and no scheduled stops, just a comfortable private car and about an hour of Kildare countryside before you arrive.
Need the journey back? Book the same transfer in reverse for the return to Dublin City or the airport, and tell the operator your pick-up location when you’re reserving.
Kilkea is one of the closer castle hotel destinations from Dublin Airport. The hour journey runs south through Co. Kildare on good roads, which makes it an easy first stop if you’ve just landed and want to get settled without a long drive. That also makes it practical if you’re flying home the next morning and want an early start.
Kilkea Castle itself dates to the 12th century. It’s the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland, and the 12th-century keep is still part of the structure even though the castle has been extended and renovated considerably over the centuries. The grounds include a golf course, formal gardens, and walking trails around the estate.
Castledermot is the nearest village, a couple of minutes away. It has a surprisingly well-preserved 10th-century high cross and the remains of a Franciscan friary in the centre of the village. It’s a quiet place but the mediaeval stonework is worth a brief stop if you’re exploring the area on foot or by car.
Kildare town is about 20 minutes north. It’s the home of the Irish National Stud and the Japanese Gardens, which are open to visitors and give a good few hours of walking. The Curragh, Ireland’s most famous horse-racing venue, is close by and has race meetings regularly through the season if you time your visit right.