Mount Druid hosts weddings, corporate team gatherings and milestone celebrations for groups of up to about 170 seated guests. It is a private parkland estate of 100 acres at Castletown Geoghegan, County Westmeath, in the Irish Midlands. The site combines a ceremony space, a drinks reception space, a dining barn and a range of on-site accommodation, so a whole event can stay within one property.
Seminars and company events
The venue says it welcomes all kinds of events, from corporate team gatherings to milestone celebrations. The official site gives no meeting-room list or equipment details, so organisers should ask for the layout they need. The Barn is the main room for a group meal, and the grounds, lake and farmland give a team day plenty of outdoor space. Guests can sleep on the estate, which suits a gathering that runs over more than one day.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the core of the offer. Ceremonies take place in the Tin Chapel, a purpose-built, unconsecrated chapel among pine trees that seats 180 guests. It can host a simple blessing or a full ceremony, and the venue lists the civil, humanist and spiritual options available in Ireland. After the ceremony, guests walk across the hill to the Boathouse for a drinks reception with canapes. When the weather allows, drinks move to the deck by the lake and the summer house. The Barn follows for the wedding meal and the dancing.
Rooms and capacities
The Tin Chapel seats 180. The Barn seats up to 170 guests, subject to the venue's terms and conditions, for either a relaxed barbecue or a formal sit-down meal. The Boathouse is a smaller room with a large wood-burning stove, decorated with art and antique furniture, and it opens to the lake deck. The Barn is fitted with restored and antique furniture.
Accommodation
Accommodation is built on the estate. The list includes Kindalin House, The Birches (two bedrooms), Forge Lodge (four bedrooms and four bathrooms), The Gate Lodge, The Bus, The Laurels, Shepherds Huts, Tin Huts, Tigins and 20 yurts that sleep two to four people each. Kindalin House, The Birches, The Gate Lodge and The Bus have power outlets. The other units do not. One extra option, Manny's Apartment with two bedrooms, is a five-minute drive away.
Catering
The Barn is set up for a meal, either a barbecue or a formal dinner, and the Boathouse serves a drinks reception with canapes. The site does not describe the catering arrangement in detail, so ask whether food is prepared by the venue or by a chosen caterer. The estate grows as much organic food and fuel as it can.
History and setting
Mount Druid is run by the Murphy family, who describe themselves as custodians of the land. They have planted over 200,000 trees, and the property is also a working organic sheep farm. The buildings were designed for the site and sit in the landscape among the trees and the lake.
Getting there
The estate faces the village of Castletown Geoghegan. Mullingar town centre is about a 15-minute drive away.
