Markree Castle- Wedding Venue of the Year 2009!
December 10, 2009
Markree Castle Voted Wedding Venue of Year 2009
We were so surprised to have been nominated in the first instance that we can’t quite believe that we have won! As one of the smallest venues nominated it is amazing that, out of 6 nominated venues, we came in with 1/3 of the vote to sweep the field. It is with thanks to all of you and our dedicated bunch of brides and grooms that come back to Markree year after year that we’ve managed to do so well. So a huge thank you from all of us here- we are so pleased that all of our hard work and dedication over the years has paid off.
We are celebrating our win with an amazing wedding offer. Enjoy free wine with your wedding meal for off your guests on selected dates in 2010. Contact us to find out more or call us 071-916780
Markree Castle Gift Vouchers
December 4, 2009
Markree Castle Gift Vouchers make the perfect christmas present
We have a lovely selection of gift vouchers available to purchase online for the first time this Christmas. Give your loved one a great excuse to treat themselves to a weekend away
Gift vouchers have no expiry date,come in a range of values and packages, and will be posted out on the next business day after purchase
Click here, visit www.markreecastle.ie or call 071-9167800 to make your purchase!
Markree Castle Wedding Open Day, Nov 21st
October 22, 2009
We are delighted to announce our first ever wedding open day which will take place on November 21st. We are opening the castle up between 12 and 5 pm and the whole place will be set up and ready to go as it would be on your wedding day. We are hoping to get as many couples, past, future and potential, as well as their families and friends, together on the day. Of course, our dedicated wedding staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have. We are also offering incredible discounts to any couples who book dates and pay their deposits on the day. There are also a range of special offers available if you’d like to stay the night, although availability is limited. Feel free to pass details on to anyone else you think might be interested. If you have any questions, please just let us know by phone on 071-9167800, or email us at info@markreecastle.ie. We hope you’ll be able to make it!
Markree Castle Short-listed for Wedding Venue of the Year 2009
We are pleased and honoured to have been nominated for realweddings.ie wedding venue of the year. As one of the smallest venues listed, we need all the votes that we can get- so if you feel that we are deserving of the title, vote for us here: www.realweddings.ie
Chance for a deep breath
September 18, 2009
We have had an amazingly busy summer. Occupancy levels were well ahead of last year- luckily as the room rates certainly weren’t! All things considered, and all the depressing statistics regarding the hotel situation in Ireland taken into account, things weren’t too bad at all. Back to school time is traditionally one of the quietest times of the years and it has given us the chance to stop meeting ourselves coming around corners, sit down and look at the winter ahead. August, as always, was busy with weddings, but September and October are even busier, keeping a nice buzz about the place. We love weddings and our wedding couples and it’s nice to have seen so many of them recently. Surprisingly, even to us, year on year we have more weddings booked for 2010 than than we did for 2009 this time last year with enquiries and bookings still coming in daily. Most of these are word-of-mouth recommendation which we take as the most sincere compliment and proof that we are holding our own as one of Ireland’s top venues in this competitive climate.
In between weddings there is lots going on in Sligo to keep the rest of our guests entertained.
On the 26th of September there is a proper Viense ball at Temple House with lessons from a dance master, ball gowns and orchestra. We have accommodation available for the night (or the weekend) at Home Farm.
Sligo Festival of Baroque Music runs from October 1st to 4th. Supported by Sligo’s Model Gallery and the Arts Council the programme includes a variety of concerts, workshops and masterclasses.
At the end of October, our annual favourite, Sligo Live is back. Ireland’s premier roots music festival is featuring the likes of the Saw Doctors, Imelda May, Josh Ritter & Martha Wainwright as well as lots of local artists and free acts in pubs and music venues all around Sligo town. If you are planning to head West this October, let this be your excuse!
Here at Markree we love trying something new and we are really excited about our first ever, castle-wide art exhibition on starting on October 24th and running until November 22nd. We’ve always wanted to do something like this, but as the castle isn’t what you could describe as typical gallery it hasn’t always appealed as an exhibition space. Luckily we’ve found an adventurous crew in the form of the North Wests Artists Group who are happy to work with the unusal space and atmosphere. To reflect the relationship between venue and work the exibition is titled ‘Shifting Fields’ and will showcase work of a number of talented artists living and working all over the North West. We feel that their mission statment fits perfectly with our aims here at Markree: “The group was created with the intention of highlighting and promoting the visual arts movement within the North West region, from both an indiviual artistic perspective, as well as encompassing the broader reginal cultural agenda.”
Renovations!
August 14, 2009
We joke with guests that there is always a leak somewhere in the castle. Though this is not strictly true, on-going maintenance of the castle is something that we put a lot of time and effort into. The latest drama isn’t a broken window or some rumbling plumbing, it turns out that an outside wall of the castle is about the fall down… something that needs to be dealt with right away.
Apparently the lift shaft has been putting pressure on this particular wall from the wrong angle (they didn’t design the castle with lifts in mind) and that some of the limestone has started to crack. These stones need to be replaced. It actually isn’t nearly as dramatic as it sounds- ‘falling down’ is a bit of an exaggeration, but none-the-less it needs to be addressed asap. So, scaffolding has gone up and work starts on Monday.
Luckily it isn’t nearly as bad as it looks- the photo is taken from an angle members of the public never see. In fact, if you had to chose a wall of the castle to need repair, this would be the one you’d chose. You can’t see it from the outside of the castle, only from the central courtyard- this is the yucky bit of the castle where the tractor lives. So aesthetically the castle remains unchanged. Also, the scaffolding doesn’t look into any bedrooms, corridors or any of the common areas of the hotel. Hopefully work will only take a few weeks and we will have a shiny new wall soon. The fact that no one will get to see the shiny new wall is a bit depressing- we like to show off our upgrades, but all things considered it’s great to be able to address the problem quickly and effectively with no impact on our guests’ stays.
Travelling with your four-legged friend
July 30, 2009
This week we’ve had four dogs (and their owners) staying- a cavalier king charles, a border terrier, a black lab and a dalmation type. Over the past few months we’ve seen the number people with dogs staying with us multiply. It seems that not only is it difficult to find someone to look after your dog while you’re away, but it is also prohibitivly expensive to send them to boarding kennels (in some cases you can, apparently, almost double the cost of your holiday to send two dogs to kennels for the week). You could always bring your dog along and keep it in the car which is fine for a couple of nights- but a week of your dog alone in the car all night is possibly a bit much for some. It also becomes a problem if the weather is too hot or too cold or if boot space is a big issue.
The feedback that we are getting is that one of the huge advantages of holidaying at home is that you can take your dog with you- dogs like a roadtrip as much as the next person. So, it seems like a no-brainer; enjoy the value-driven hotel and self-catering offers available in Ireland, save the cost of boarding kennels or the guilt of leaving your dog with a long-suffering friend and enjoy the company of your canine family member while exploring the farthest reaches of Ireland. The next challenge is actually finding a hotel that will put up with both you and your dog- evidently this is easier said than done. There are two problems: firstly, hotels that accept dogs are few and far between, and secondly, some hotels accept dogs but with such strigent terms and conditions (must be on a leash at all times, or only allowed in certain bedrooms, or must be kept in a stable or run on the grounds) that you feel guilty even suggesting that you might bring them.
We find that humans make more noise and mess than dogs. Especially since most dog owners a very conscientious about making sure their dogs are clean and well behaved before having them in their hotel rooms. We also have loads of space for walks and runs. Luckily we aren’t alone in allowing dogs in the hotel. There are plenty of pet-friendly places to stay throughout Ireland- the diffculty is finding them! Here are some sites that we recommend to help you plan your doggy trip:
Wedding Price Wars
July 16, 2009
It seems like everytime we turn on the radio these days there is someone talking about weddings and, more specifically, the cost of your wedding. The general impression seems to be that wedding venues have been ripping brides and grooms off for the past ten years and now it’s payback time. The media tells us to take advantage of the surge in numbers of hotels across Ireland, and their desperation for any kind of business at all and see how much you can squeeze out of them. While it may be true that some venues had been over-pricing themselves on the assumption that people will pay anything if they want something badly enough, most of them had reasonable pricing strategies even in the heady days of the Celtic Tiger. A hotel that opened up five years ago not too far from here began wedding packages that started at €110 per person for the very basics, within six months they were offering the same package for €80. Customers have always wanted value for money and quality for money and that hasn’t changed. Most hotel’s wedding prices are generally fair given the amount of work staff and management will have put into your big day by the time it comes to handing over the bill.
On the whole we don’t have a problem with people trying to get the best deal they can at Markree- we know what we do, we do well and we can have confidence that a top notch product and service will always win out in the end. We won’t compromise on quality of produce and service in order to beat a competitor’s price and we won’t go any lower than we can afford. Luckily we are, and always have been, in a position to offer really good value for money, our rates have always reflected that, and we have no problem fitting our services around your budget. If Markree is the venue for you, you’ve fallen in love with it and well as your betrothed, we’ll find some way to make it a reality. Each and every wedding is, and always has been, made up ‘from scratch’, every element tailored to what you want or what you can afford. Markree isn’t a package kind of place and our wedding philosophy reflects that.
With all that in mind, we have a few tips for the would-be haggler at any venue:
1. Sort out the prices before you sign the contract and/or pay a deposit- the reasons for this are obvious. Firstly, you won’t know if you’ll be able to get the deal you want/need until you ask and you may end up stuck with a venue that can’t fulfill your needs. Secondly, it’s only polite to let the hotel know if you are on a budget before things are set in stone.
2. Watch out for catches in ‘package’ prices. Lots of hotels offer, for example, 1/2 bottle of wine per person as part of their package- rarely, in fact nearly never, would your wedding guests drink even close to this amount and not many hotels are offering you the left-over wine to bring home with you! Often you’ll get a better deal on a per consumption basis.
2. Remember that hotels are businesses- exceptionally low prices mean they will be cutting corners somewhere to protect their profits, whether it be on the quality of food or staffing levels on the day.
3. Beware of hotels that will only give you the best price if you pay for the whole lot 6 weeks before the wedding- we can’t think of a single non-shifty reason for this.
4. Bear in mind that if you really want the best prices you will have to make some compromises. For instance, you will always get the best price if you choose an off-peak date for your wedding even if it means compromising your ideal of a sunny, summer Saturday.
5. Don’t get too caught up in the price. Ask yourself this- is the cost the most important thing about my wedding day? The answer is of course no- instead think about value for money.
6. Don’t always thing about value as being purely relating to something that you can physically hold on to. Think of all the other intangible elements that will make up your wedding day: atmosphere, company, backdrop….
7. The number one issue of contention seems to be corkage. Seems to be a rip off since you aren’t paying for a product. Instead think of it as a service and consider the other costs associated with serving wine, aside from the wine itself: storing, chilling, polishing glasses, laying glasses, opening, serving, washing the glasses.
Here are some links to some wedding websites / blogs that we like, and that are full of information, forums and advice:
Our Guests are Just Great
July 9, 2009
Sometimes our guests just give us a lovely warm, fuzzy feeling. Please read on for a comment left on a recent blog post, we thought it warranted it’s very own platform:
To the staff and management of the Markree Castle,
I was at the wedding of Sabrina and Wesley last month (June 09) and i have to say that the service and food and especially the amazing staff were beyond any expectations. You all were terrific and funny and warm and helpful and did the castle proud. So what if there were a few quirks here and there. Big deal! It didnt bother us one bit. Get a big old well stocked up medical kit though guys because there are brides with blistered heels yet to come and have the reception with ye!
Mark Says:
July 9, 2009 at 12:31 am e
To the staff and management of the Markree Castle continued…
Like i already said, the staff are wonderful at the Markree Castle. During breakfast, i asked one of the girl staff if there was any chance i could have my eggs well done. I should have asked earlier!!! Even though the breakfast was made and served to me, she had no problem in whipping the egg away with a smile and returned it to me within minutes done exactly as i like. Then, she smiled and said “there you go”. THATS what i call service and not done in a false way either!!! Im not even a snob and yet that really impressed me.
I found the staff of the Markree Castle to be refreshingly normal. Normal and not “Put on the fake smile” work related non-sense. Nice.
You mentioned that there are faults in the Markree Castle that may get mixed negative comments but i can assure you, anyone with an ounce of normality will ignore those miniture so-called faults. So what if the shower acted up etc…. its what adds to the fun of the castle in my opinion! Its not all the posh and repetitive snobbery of the 5 star hotels and because of that relieving fact… i give this Castle 6 stars.
The gardens are amazing. The horses…oh my GOD the horses near the surroundings are amazing. Huge white and brown horses that are not afraid to accept a handfull of the green grass. The statues we seen around the area are magnificent. The lovely kind lady who we spoke to as she was pruneing the roses as we looked for the rare fish in the fountain at the other staying quarters alongside the Castle.
We spent 2 nights in the Markree castle! The windows wouldn’t open up, who cares?!!! The magic at the Markree Castle is unbeatable! You may ask….Is this a member of staff saying all these good things about the castle… no, im not. Im just a happy guest who left the Markree Castle happy and feeling well treated and satisfied.
The heat in June got to us due to the windows but that will be fixed. I know that. We arrived at Sligo train station feeling like we actually got to stay in a very VERY amazing and old Castle. It was the best damn sleep i had in a long time. The sheets and pillows especially were VERY comfortable. REMOVE the kettles from the room though and change them to newer ones! Limescale doesn’t taste good! (Room 24)
I will return to the Markree Castle for a weekend break soon. I enjoyed it that much. I will also mention this to many others. Once again, i found the staff amazing. David was one of them. He was joking with us about how to carry a hot tray of veg and potatoes and really made us feel welcome. He’s the tall guy that multi-tasks! Does everything from waiter to barman and really added to making our stay funny and funny. Tell him we said hello!
I hope to hear a reply soon.
Best wishes to all of you and thanks for looking after us and looking foward to seeing you all again soon,
Mark
Post Ball Round Up
July 7, 2009
Just a very short post to thank everyone who supported our charity ball on Saturday night and especially to those who couldn’t make it but sent more than generous donations anyway- you have restored our faith in humanity! There are still some foggy heads walking around the castle, several days later. It was a classic Markree party- music stopped at 6.00 am and some people (including a certain manager of Home Farm) never made it to bed at all. People were phenomonally generous donating time, money, raffle prizes and support especially given that the r-word is all that people can talk about these days. For scandelous pictures visit our facebook events page and please, upload your own!
We haven’t 100% finished our sums but we have raised at least €6000 for the Northwest Hospice and will hopefully be able to round it off to a nice whole number ourselves.
Markree Castle c.1988
June 19, 2009
As our afforementioned (see last week’s blog post) reviewers on tripadvisor often state- If you are looking for five star luxury don’t come to Markree, as you will inevitably be disappointed. Thankfully we have a brilliant crew of appreciative guests, only a handful of whom have reviewed us online, who love Markree Castle for what it is. No airs and graces, but full of unique charm and authenticity. There will always be a leak in the roof somewhere, or a sofa that really could do with replacing, but the fact Markree is still here, and still in the Cooper family, is something worth appreciating in itself. Our guests find it very refreshing that no one minds muddy walking boots and wellies, jeans in the dining room (or pyjamas in some cases), and dogs in the bedrooms. Wedding couples love the unique harmony between grand fairytale setting and special relaxed party atmosphere that Markree has in adundance. Our ethos, when it comes to both weddings and regular guests is to be easy-going yet efficient. An oxymoron some might say, but it reflects the whole aura of the building.
Those of you who have read our 20th anniversary press release will know a little about how Markree went from dilapadated ruin to hotel in a matter of a few months. For those of you that haven’t, the answer is with a lot of enthusiasm and very little money- really, a last effort to keep the old building in the family. Luckily, we are busier than ever and looking forward to a massive party on July 4th to celebrate. As a result of the press release, there has been a lot of requests for photos, before and after and so on. So, here goes:
Stained glass depicting the Cooper family tree
Markree Castle dining room plasterwork, before and after renovation
An example of Markree Dryrot, so fabulous it was shipped to Australia for a dry-rot conference
A view into the dining room from what is now 'The Johnny Cash Room' above
All that dry-rot had to go somewhere- no one counted the skips that took it away!
