Situated in the lush heartlands of County Limerick, Adare Manor is one of Ireland's most evocative and spellbinding castle hotels.

Steeped in exotic history and surrounded by medieval ruins, its 840-acre demesne is home to beautiful parklands, superb trout fishing on the river Maigue, and a renowned 18-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior. Unique and individual accommodation, the best of contemporary Irish food in an incomparable setting, and the highest standards of modern hospitality are hallmarks of the Manor experience.

The Minstrels' Gallery is the most compelling room in the Manor. It runs 132 ft from east to west so that it is flooded at alternate ends with morning then evening light. But it is the stained glass panes, which make the strongest impression. They proclaim the heraldic history of the former owner of the house; Lady Caroline. This seems lopsided until one realises the windows were dedicated by her husband Lord Dunraven wholly 'in love and honour of . . . his countess'.

With this tenderness in mind, the Minstrels' Gallery is a model setting for a wedding party. Its sentiments of devotion and its epic proportions reflect the ethos of marriage. It is also, quite simply, a stirringly beautiful room. Its grandeur and atmosphere elevate it far above the typical venue. With a floor inspired by that of Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, 17th Century Flemish choir stalls and an intricately carved wainscot, it is a place of profound romanticism.