Ashford Castle launches unique Literary Experience
Robert Scott, local bookseller and historian was invited to curate the castle’s library, established in 2014. Now retired, Robert continues to oversee the collection and will personally guide guests through its shelves.
For more than two centuries, the Ashford Castle Estate has been woven into the lives and imaginations of some of Ireland’s most celebrated literary figures. Today, guests can follow in their footsteps following the launch of a literary experience that brings the stories, characters and legends of this corner of the West of Ireland to life.
The Ashford Castle Literary Experience offers guests an opportunity to discover the estate through the eyes of the writers, artists and cultural figures who have walked its grounds.
Robert Scott, local bookseller and historian was invited to curate the castle’s library, established in 2014. Now retired, Robert continues to oversee the collection and will personally guide guests through its shelves.
Robert’s insightful tour explores the connections with the Wilde family; among the Castle’s most distinguished literary visitors was Oscar Wilde, who spent many happy occasions at Ashford during his youth and remained a lifelong friend of Lady Ardilaun (wife of Arthur Guinness).
Nearby, the Wilde family owned the Moytura Estate, further connecting the celebrated writer to the landscape and its rich mythology.
The Castle also welcomed George Moore, one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival. A frequent guest of Lord and Lady Ardilaun, Moore vividly recorded his Ashford weekends in his writings, offering a fascinating glimpse into the social and artistic world surrounding the Estate in the late nineteenth century.
The estate's literary associations extend further through connections to George Bernard Shaw, whose maternal grandfather lived at nearby Kinlough House, and to the renowned writer and Japanologist Lafcadio Hearn, who discovered the richness of Irish mythology while visiting relatives on the estate.
The story of Ashford reaches back much further than the written word and guests will also hear from Robert Scott about the mythology, folklore and legends of the region.
From the epic tale of the Battle of Moytura to the local lore of Lough Corrib and the Ashford Estate, guests will experience something beyond a traditional literary tour - insight into the people and ideas that contributed to one of the most culturally significant periods in Ireland’s history.
The Ashford Castle Literary Experience is available year-round, subject to availability and is priced at €150 for up to four guests (residents only).
