Kilkea Castle was built in 180 as a gift for the Norman knight Walter de Riddlesford. The estate once served as the medieval stronghold of the FitzGerald clan, the earldom over Kildare county.

Desmond was the heir to Glin Castle, nestled along the River Shannon, in Limerick, Ireland. Following his death, FitzGerald and her mom and sisters put the castle up for auction. However ...

though the paved parking lot that rolls right up to the ramparts imparts a commercial tone compared with the more graceful entries of most castle hotels.