The Castledawson Inn to feature on Channel 4's Popular Series Four in a Bed next week

NI hospitality business, The Castledawson Inn, operated by former Lord of the Dance star Ciaran Devlin, and his business partner Lorraine Donnelly, is set to step into the national spotlight next week when it features on Channel 4's hit series Four in a Bed.

Nestled on the banks of the River Moyola, in Castledawson village, The Castledawson Inn offers an 80-seater restaurant and bar, as well as 15 modern double/twin ensuite rooms. It is one of four accommodation businesses from across Northern Ireland featured next week with the others being The Wylies in Lisburn, Co. Antrim; Drumrush B&B in Kesh; Co. Fermanagh, and Ballylough House in Bushmills. Co. Antrim.

The Castledawson Inn kicks off the programme’s week in Northern Ireland when their episode airs on C4 at 5 pm on Monday, January 27.

The popular show is produced by Studio Lambert, the production company behind a range of hits including The Traitors and Gogglebox and has been on TV screens since 2010. Each week, the programme sees four sets of accommodation owners stay at each other’s premises and rate their experience. After treating their guests to a local tourist experience and offering B&B for the night, guests are asked to rank their hosts, the cleanliness of their accommodation, the facilities, how they slept, and the quality of the breakfast served. Contestants are then asked to pay the advertised rate but can overpay or underpay depending on how they found their stay, often leading to some compulsive viewing come payment day.

Speaking about their experience of filming the programme, Ciaran Devlin, originally from Bellaghy, who before moving into the hospitality sector delighted audiences for 16 years as a lead performer in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, said: “Since taking over The Castledawson Inn two years ago, we’ve worked hard to make it a place people enjoy and return to again and again. A big part of that is the fantastic local tourism offering we have on our doorstep in Mid Ulster and our position at the heart of Northern Ireland as a fantastic base from which to source the best local produce and explore.

“Getting the chance to step away from our own business and get knee-deep into other hospitality businesses was too good a chance to miss. We had some good old Ulster humour moments across the week, so I know there are going to be both cracking and cringeworthy moments on display, but hopefully, the show highlights how we can all be proud of what we have to offer visitors to this special part of the world.”

Lorraine Donnelly, Ciaran’s Co-founder at The Castledawson Inn, is also urging viewers to tune in: "As a relatively new hospitality business, we're so grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in such a beloved TV series. Thankfully our offering has been well received by our local community and by travelling guests since we opened our doors, but Four in a Bed is exciting as it offers us exposure to a whole new audience. Ciaran and I have also been best friends for over 25 years and have been so busy since we opened The Castledawson Inn, so this was a fantastic chance to step back, have some fun, and learn from other inspiring hospitality business owners. We haven’t seen the final edits yet, but I’m sure there will be some TV gold moments. We’re sworn to secrecy on the outcome, but it’s certainly worth tuning in to see the fun and comments unfold.”

Since opening two years ago, The Castledawson Inn has become a popular local venue. Dog friendly, it offers hearty meals, comfortable accommodations, and a warm atmosphere that reflects Ciaran and Lorraine’s passion for hospitality. To book a table or accommodation visit www.castledawsoninn.com

Tune in to Channel 4 at 5pm on Monday, January 27 for Four in a Bed or watch back on channel4.com to see how The Castledawson Inn fares.