Peg and Son are quite the characters - be careful what you say - no senses of humor here. We were scolded for showing up late, for asking for a good room, for not eating all our breakfast, etc. The castle itself is lovely and the town is very charming but even the locals will tell you that the owners are crazy. If you can tolerate their irritable personalities, then your stay will be pleasant. We were traveling with my 80- year old father and she put him on the 3rd floor with many stairs and put the married couples in rooms with twin beds - not receptive to our needs at all - we seemed to be a bother to her. Just not a pleasant stay for the money.

We were met at the door by David, who seemed just a tad irritated that we got there early, but was very pleasent after that. He showed us the TV room and sitting room, where we could get coffee and tea at our pleasure(never saw any hot water tho), then showed us to our private rooms on the 3rd floor, which we found to be quite comfortable and adequate. A bit tricky carrying our bags up, but other than that it was wonderful. Friendly, courteous, and informative. Breakfast was quite filling and very tastey. Overall we had a great 2 night visit.

Carrigeen Castle in Cahir, Tipperary, is the perfect location for a trip to Ireland. My family of 6 stayed there this past August and we could not have been happier. Our host was the inimitable Peig Butler who brings to the castle its tradition of family history and she is always ready to talk and plan any aspect of your trip with you. Her son David has a doctorate in theology I believe, and he has written the definitive guidebook on the area and is extremely knowledgeable in both the history and tourism of the area. Together they offer their charm and wit and are most accomodating. By day 2 they knew all of our children's names and were quite attentive to their needs as well (ages 17, 15, 13, & 12).
The Village of Cahir is itself a lovely spot with great walks and local history. The Galtee Inn is a great place for a Pub Dinner, ask for Mary and tell her we sent you. If you just want a pint then stop into the Shamrock where Hugh will be behind the bar with a story or two and his charming local humor. Sites in Cahir include the unique Swiss Cottage and Cahir Castle. The castle was the seat of the Butler Family at one time and the connection between it and the hotel are wonderful.
As a stepping off point, Cahir was perfect, and we took day trips each of the 5 days we stayed there; as near as the can't miss spectacular Rock of Cashel (15 minutes) and Kilkenny ( 1/2 hour) and as far as The Cliffs of Moher, Lakes of Killarney and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, (all between 1 & 2 hours away).
We ended our trip in Dublin for 3 days at The Arlington on the Liffey at O'Connell Street and that was an affordable and perfect location (the rumors about the noise in Temple Bar all night are greatly exagerrated).
All in all Cahir was the perfect location and The Butlers were the perfect hosts. The Full Irish Breakfast each morning was wonderful and allowed us to save money on lunch because most days a mid-day snack was sufficient.
Thanks Peig and David!
Best Regards from New York,
Russ, Jennifer, Adam, Jonathan, Karlee and Abigail

Our family of 5 (including one person in a wheelchair) just returned home to the USA from a very enjoyable trip to Ireland in late June 2008. We had a wonderful trip. We stayed at 7 different B&Bs and a few other hotels. Our favorite place of all to stay was Carrigeen Castle in Cahir!

We really appreciated Mrs. Butler and her son, David, opening up their home to us. It is a picturesque castle. There are lovely grounds and nice rooms. It is a beautiful place to stay. We enjoyed the framed notes throughout the castle which tell the history of the various rooms. Mrs. Butler was great and a very caring hostess (not "the warden" she was portrayed as in another review!) She reminds me of my Aunt Joyce who is very organized and has her way of doing things, but her objective is to run things smoothly so that everyone has a wonderful stay.

Bruce, Cathy, Jenny, Brian, and Sarah Palmer