Cong

Just two blocks long, and bisected by the chocolate-brown River Cong, the village is surrounded on all sides by thickly forested hills. Almost larger than the village itself is the celebrated luxury hotel found here, Ashford Castle, much beloved by billionaires and off-duty celebrities. It was once the country estate of the powerful Guinness family. A public footpath runs from Cong Abbey through the grounds of Ashford Castle and out of its gates and is a pleasant walk of about two miles—or you could opt to drop by for lunch or dinner, or even afternoon tea, to get a peek at Ashford's aristocratic interior. A still more romantic way to see the castle is on a boat trip run by the local Corrib Cruises.