[6] In 1715, the estate of Ashford was established by the Browne family and a hunting lodge in the style of a 17th-century French chateau was constructed.

[9] On Sir Benjamin's death in 1868, the estate passed to his son Lord Ardilaun, who expanded the building further in the neogothic style.

[8] Lord Ardilaun was an avid gardener who oversaw the development of massive woodlands and rebuilt the entire west wing of the castle, designed by architects James Franklin Fuller and George Ashlin.

[4] He also subsidised the operation of several steamboats, the most notable of which was the Lady Eglinton, which plied between the villages of the Upper Lough Corrib region and Galway City, thus opening the area to increased commerce.

[citation needed] After being rebuilt, the Ashford Castle welcomed many famous guests such as George V, the Prince of Wales, among others who stayed with the Guinness family.

[citation needed] In more recent years the castle has been used as a set for "French Court" in The CW's hit medieval drama Reign.

The castle and surrounding grounds figure prominently in the first three seasons of the drama, with the cast and crew returning on a yearly basis to film on the estate.

[citation needed] In 1970, the castle was bought by John Mulcahy, who oversaw its complete restoration and expansion, doubling its size with the addition of a new wing in the early 1970s, building a golf course and developing the grounds and gardens.

[18] Niall Rochford, long-time manager of the property, has said that staff accepted a 20% to 30% pay cut to ensure the hotel's survival.

In its time the castle has played host to many notable guests, including The Prince of Wales (later King George V) and his Consort, the future Queen Mary; John Lennon; George Harrison; Oscar Wilde (whose father, Sir William Wilde, had an estate adjacent to Ashford, where the writer spent much of his childhood); President Ronald Reagan; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; US Senator Ted Kennedy; John Wayne; Maureen O'Hara; Robin Williams; Brad Pitt; Pierce Brosnan; and Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his consort, Princess Grace.

[23]In September 2011, Gerry Barrett ordered that electric gates be installed, and subsequently shut, blocking a centuries-old public right of way over a bridge near the castle.

After a letter to castle management asking for the right of way to be re-established was ignored, a group of 150 concerned locals and Ashford residents protested against the blocking of the right of way.