Barberstown Castle in Straffan, County Kildare, hosts conferences, gala dinners and weddings for up to 220 guests in its separate 16th-century Banquet Hall. It has two conference suites, a boardroom and about 60 bedrooms, and the full venue can be hired on an exclusive basis. Dublin city and Dublin Airport are 30 minutes away.
Seminars and company events
The conference offer includes two large conference suites, one large boardroom and flexible breakout space. The rooms have natural daylight and look onto landscaped gardens, which the hotel suggests for walks and team-building activities between sessions. Complimentary high-speed internet and wifi are included, and the venue has more than 200 free parking spaces.
Exclusive full venue hire is available for corporate meetings, with full privacy for the group. The team can add off-site activities such as golf, motor racing or spa treatments, and can arrange virtual event hosting through technical partners. Meals can be taken in the pub, in the Castle Keep or in the Banquet Hall.
Weddings and receptions
The whole venue can be reserved exclusively for a wedding. The Banquet Hall is a separate building from the hotel, which gives a wedding or gala dinner full privacy. Guests arrive in a hall hung with medieval tapestries for a welcome reception, then move into the banquet room. Ceremonies can be held on site, and wedding coordinators meet couples in person or online.
Rooms and capacities
The Banquet Hall holds up to 220 guests according to its own page, and it has a dedicated coach gate from the Clane road for large group arrivals. The 13th-century Castle Keep is used for private dining, intimate celebrations and Christmas dinners. The Haggard pub offers casual indoor and outdoor space for private barbecues and informal events. The Garden Suite and Bar opens directly onto the gardens.
Accommodation
The hotel has 58 bedrooms, two lodges and a Presidential Suite, which the home page counts as 61 bedrooms. Room types include Classic, Deluxe, Four Poster and Junior Suite rooms. The conference page speaks of 60 bedrooms and the exclusive hire page of 55, so confirm the number for your dates.
Catering
Menus for the Banquet Hall run from three or four courses to a canape reception, plated buffet or bespoke menus. Executive Head Chef Pablo Bernardo leads the kitchen, and the Barton Rooms Restaurant won a Good Food Ireland hotel restaurant award for 2025. Vegetables come in part from the castle gardens.
History and setting
The medieval keep dates from 1288, with Elizabethan and Victorian extensions added over eight centuries. The house opened as a small guesthouse in 1971. Musician Eric Clapton lived there from 1979 to 1987. The castle is privately owned and stands in 10 acres of landscaped gardens.
Getting there
The castle is 30 minutes from Dublin city and Dublin Airport, and under 10 minutes from the N4 and N7 motorways. It lies close to four major motorway links in the Kildare region.
