Lough Eske Castle has a long history which is wrapped in the story of Co. Donegal and Ireland. It’s a story that starts with being carved piece by piece from local stone, carried by Clydesdale horses along specially constructed roadways, of being won, lost, ruined, and restored.

The O'Donnell's, a powerful 14th-century Donegal clan, had their seat at the original Lough Eske Castle, with wealthy landowners ruling from the castle and Edwardian glamour played out. In the 1860s, the last resident of the castle, Thomas Brooke, inspired by Victorian Gothic style, set about creating a comfortable and refined residence, with dramatic turrets, exquisite stained-glass windows and intricate stone carvings, to create Lough Eske Castle as we know it today. So grand was the transformation that the great and the good, including novelist and playwright Oscar Wilde, enjoyed the hospitality of the Brooke family. 

Over time, the property fell into disrepair, with its decline hastened by fire. By the early Noughties, nobody wanted the crumbling ruins, or could see its future clearly. That is with the exception of Donegal man, Pat Doherty, who saw clearly a unique opportunity - and a bright future. His vision to restore the castle to its original splendour and to provide hospitality on a grand scale in the scenic county of his birth was realised in 2007, when Lough Eske Castle received its first hotel guests.

To discover more about the history of the castle and grounds, guests can take a guided Castle history tour or explore the estate’s lakeside woodland trails by foot or on the hotel’s complimentary bicycles. 

Lough Eske Castle Hotel continues to receive an enviable number of prestigious awards, reflecting not only the quality of accommodation and service, but also fine dining and culinary excellence, luxury spa and wedding venue. Recent accolades: