Grounds
With a massive 26000 acre estate there has been a lot of developments to the grounds of the castle. There are many features of the old fortified estate such as the castle walls and moat still clearly identified and and old draw bridge still standing the test of time. Over the centuries the planting of the extensive woodland areas has deeply added to the old country feeling which the castle prides itself on. With its success within the tourism industry the golf course on the grounds has help establish its household name within europe.
External structure
For the construction of this castle it was very conveniently located in a limestone rich area with the local quarry located only 6km from the castle grounds. This quarry provided the stone for all developments and extensions of the castle and of the castle walls. The same quarry is still in operation to this day and is run under the trading name of McGraths Quarry.
As the viewer sweeps his eye across the structure of the building it is easy to identify the different extensions to the castle through the variation in color in the stone but also the different styles of building. From the early construction, french influences, victorian era and modern impacts.
From the windows of the castle we can also see the different architectural styles present at the time of construction from the gothic and romanesque style windows present in various parts of the building. Through out the structure there are double glazed replica wooden sash windows.
Internal Structure
Inside the castle wall reveals a beautiful interior primarily constructed from wood. From the castles beginnings there has always been a wooden facade. This helps add to the overall countryside feeling which the castle strives to achieve. The Primary timber used to construct the interior is teak. A rich and dark timber which has excellence written in its grain patterns. When the castle interior was completely renovated in 1970 only the best trades men were employed to carry out such work. The standard of work expected was so high that everyday a foreman inspected all parts of the wooden construction from the day, and if there was any hammer marks or blemishes in the timber there was a percentage taken from the workers wages. The furniture of the building is also made from deep coloured wood which compliments the castle as a whole.
