Landmark · Co. Galway
The 1754 country house on Ballynahinch Lake, directly overlooked by Benlettery of the Twelve Bens — home once to Richard Martin, “Humanity Dick”, founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, now a hotel in a private estate.
Ballynahinch Castle is a former Irish country house and estate, built on the site of a former castle, which is now a luxury hotel set in a private estate in the Connemara region of County Galway, Ireland. The castle lies on the edge of Ballynahinch Lake and the Ballynahinch River, and it is directly overlooked by Benlettery, 557 metres, one of the Twelve Bens mountain range. That is the view the castle is known for: the lake in front, the river through the grounds, and the quartzite peaks standing straight up out of the water behind — the walk around the lake is the walk that takes in all of it.
The detached three-storey country house was built in 1754, and while the structure has been modified throughout its life, the castle still retains its architectural integrity. The estate country around it — the lake, the river and the grounds — is the place that visitors come for, and the walk from the castle down to the water and back is the walk that gets done.
One of the former residents of Ballynahinch Castle was Richard Martin, known as “Humanity Dick” (1754–1834), founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Member of Parliament for County Galway — the man the SPCA is named after, who lived in the castle. Another owner was the Maharaja Jam Sahib, the Indian prince who owned the estate in the 20th century and the reason the castle's story runs from the Irish country house to the colonial era and back. The residents are the castle's second history: the MP, the prince, and the hotel that keeps the house standing today.
Ballynahinch Castle is in the Connemara region of County Galway, a drive from Galway city and Clifden; the lake and the river are at the castle's edge, and Benlettery is the peak in the view. The hotel and the estate have their own arrangements — confirm the current visiting, dining and stay options before travelling.
Where to stay
The castle puts the lake, the river and Benlettery all in one view — the estate is the point.
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