Gazing up at the imposing gray façade of Ireland’s Ashford Castle, one inevitably feels a sense of history imbedded in the ancient fortification’s weather-worn stones. Constructed in 1228 during the Anglo-Norman de Burgo dynasty, the estate passed through several hands before 1852, when it was purchased by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, who annexed surrounding acreage, added two Victorian-style wings, and planted thousands of trees.
