A couple has been living in an 800-year-old castle in Ireland during lockdown

The castle, which sits on a 350-acre estate, was originally built in the 13th century and was acquired by the Guinness family in 1852.

The Red Carnation Hotel company purchased Ashford in 2013 to refurbish it and turn it into a luxury hotel. It serves as both a romantic getaway and a family vacation spot, with activities ranging from spa sessions to falconry available for guests to enjoy.

But the castle has been closed since Ireland went into lockdown in March.

Jamieson, 23, has been working at the castle for five years, while Smith, 28, has been there for three. Jamieson is the senior guest executive, and Smith is the estate manager.

The couple met when Smith started at the castle, and Jamieson was going through Ashford's management program at the time. They've been a couple for a year and a half now, and they live in a house together that's about a five-minute drive from the castle.

"We were approached by our general manager, and he asked us if we'd be happy to live in the castle," Smith told Insider.

"It was a no-brainer," Smith said of the couple's decision. "We couldn't say no. Why would you want to say no? It's an amazing place."

"We're mostly focused on the upkeep, the general maintenance, and reservations," Smith told Insider. "We do have a lot of people inquiring with regards to the reopening, which we're scheduled to at present for the 20th of July."

They typically start their duties a bit later in the day and work until around 10 p.m.

"We have to call around to every room and check on the plumbing side of things because it's such an old building," Smith said. "Parts of the castle date back hundreds of years."

"We're going through all the rooms, and making sure the water is running correctly," Smith explained.

The castle has about 160 toilets, so it takes the duo quite a while to get to all of them. "We sort of made it into a workout routine now," Smith joked. "We don't see it becoming a craze anytime soon. It's not going to be like the new Zumba or the new pilates or anything like that."

"But it keeps us very active, keeps us busy, and keeps our steps up," he added.

"Every single room in the castle, even down to an entry-level room, is different," Jamieson said of the 83 guest rooms in the castle. "When we moved in, we were offered three different rooms and we got to pick our favorite."

"So, we picked the room over in the Victorian wing of the castle," she said. "We have the most incredible bedroom with a view of the lake."

"There are high ceilings. It's so comfortable, and it's beautiful," Jamieson added. "It's an amazing room."

"We always have a date night," Smith said, both because he and Jamieson want to make sure they're having fun together and because it gives them a sense of normalcy.

"We have this amazing, 32-seater cinema that is built into the castle, and it's just a stunning cinema," he said. "It looks like it was from the 1920s, like early cinema days."

The couple watches a movie or "Game of Thrones" in the cinema at least once a week, bringing movie theater-style snacks they get in town to make the experience even more fun.

"We've recently had just the best weather," Jamieson told Insider. "It's been really nice and sunny."

"Because we've got the estate, we can do so many lovely walks," she said. "Being able to get outside and keep active I find is really important, especially through all of this."

"During this lockdown, not only are we learning more about ourselves as a couple, but we're also learning about the castle," Smith said. "The building is just so big. It's just incredible to experience. We're finding new areas and nooks and crannies."

"We've got to the point now where we kind of learned what certain floorboards sound like when they creak," Jamieson said.

For instance, the castle is home to a wine cellar that previously functioned as an underground tunnel for staff.

"In 2013, we had a huge restoration," Smith said. "The tunnel was actually completely flooded and they turned it into this wine cellar."

The duo checks in on the cellar during their time staying there, and they've even eaten a romantic meal in it.

"The worst part is just realizing that soon we're going to have to be on our way," Smith said. "This has been a holiday for us."

But the couple said despite the fun they're having, it doesn't take away from the gravity of the pandemic.

"It's bittersweet because of what's going on in the world right now," Smith said. "We would trade it all for it to go back to the way it was, as I'm sure as everyone would."

"But we're very proud to be doing what we're doing," he added.

"This castle means so much to them because of the historical importance of it," Smith said of the townspeople who live nearby.

"The locals here in the community have really taken us in at a time where we're separated from our families," he said, which means a lot to him and Jamieson since neither of them are from Ireland. "It's the most rewarding thing — the sense of community in a time where everyone's keeping their distance."

The castle is currently set to reopen on July 20, 2020, which happens to be Jamieson's birthday. You can learn more about the Ashford's normal activities, which includes walking the castle's two resident Irish wolfhounds, and make a reservation on its website.

You can follow Jamieson and Smith's adventures in the castle on Twitter.

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