The Castle Arms Hotel (Co.Laois)

Like the nearby Ashbrook Arms which is also owned by the Murphys, “The Castle Arms Hotel is located in the beautiful Georgian village square of Durrow, County Laois in the midlands of Ireland. Owned and managed by the Murphy family, the Castle Arms Hotel is a haven for the discerning guest who will appreciate its relaxed and friendly atmosphere.” It is also – it turns out – something of a haven for the Laois Foxhounds. Fox hunting is (shamefully) still legal in Ireland and according to a January 2025 edition of the pro-hunt Irish Field, “It would be hard to find a more appropriate venue for a meet of the Laois Foxhounds than the Castle Arms, just off the square in the picturesque Laois town of Durrow. It has been the property of the Murphy family since the 1950s, when it was acquired by the returned Australian, Joe Murphy Snr…The Murphy family of the hotel were certainly not found wanting, with our host Seosamh on his good bay by Lakeshore Drive.” According to the same article, Liz Lane – “a distinguished veterinary surgeon, whose opinion is often quoted on veterinary matters” – was “out with the hunt”. According to the report, she previously “hunted with the Limerick Harriers and the Clare Hunt” and is “a former whipper-in of the Limerick Harriers”.