
Safe & Expert Addiction Treatment near Wales
Smarmore Castle Private Clinic, near Wales, is a residential rehab clinic providing treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and behavioral addictions including gambling. We are located just a three-hour journey from Anglesey, Wales, near Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Patients coming from Wales are advised to take the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin (two hours). Our clinic is situated one hour from Dublin by car.We receive patients from Anglesey, Wales, Northern Ireland, the UK, EU and further afield.

Reaching Out
Wales Alcohol and Drug Abuse
In Wales, 39.9% of the population (over 16 years old) drank more than the recommended amount of alcohol in 2015, although this proportion fell slightly since 2011. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of people in Wales referred for alcohol and drug abuse treatment increased by 1800. Drinking to excess can have tragic consequences; there were over 5000 alcohol-related deaths between 2004 and 2014 in England and Wales, with a higher rate in Wales.
In Wales, the number of people admitted to hospital because of drug use increased by 9% between 2015 and 2016. Similarly, the number of drug-related deaths rose by 48.7% from 2014 to 2015, a figure largely driven by an increase in morphine and heroin related deaths. In 2015, the highest number of drug-related deaths in Wales were recorded in Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil (both 9.1 per 100,000).

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Residential Rehab Treatment Clinic near Wales
At Smarmore Castle, our mission is to provide the highest quality and most effective treatment for our patients and those suffering from alcohol, drug and gambling addiction in Wales. We receive patients from Anglesey, Wales, Northern Ireland, the UK, EU and further afield. We offer many different options for referral and admission.
Admissions for Patients from Wales
Patients from Anglesey and the rest of Northern Ireland can access drug detoxification and addiction rehab treatment at Smarmore Castle Private Clinic in the following ways:
- As a private patient
- Through a private medical insurance plan
Contact Us for Addiction Advice
The team at Smarmore Castle is always available to answer questions about our rehab treatment programme, admissions, or funding. If you are from Wales and are thinking of entering rehab or if you are the family member, friend or employer of someone who is suffering from an alcohol or drug addiction in Wales, please contact us for advice.
Our Addiction Treatment Programme
The addiction treatment model at Smarmore Castle has been developed over 30 years by a world-renowned team of doctors and psychologists. Our residential rehabilitation treatment programme is based on the clinically proven rehab treatment model pioneered by Castle Craig, our partner establishment in Scotland.
We provide an intensive rehab programme which follows the 12 Steps Model, and offers a rapid admissions process. Patients receive a full medical assessment and physical examination before beginning their treatment. They then complete a stage of detoxification from alcohol and drugs, closely managed by our medical team.
Our treatment programme incorporates specialist addiction therapies including:
- Individual therapy, group therapy, CBT, trauma therapy, grief therapy and family therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment for those suffering a psychological condition such as depression or an eating disorder in addition to drug or alcohol addiction
We also offer a range of complementary addiction therapies, including:
We continue to support patients after they have completed their treatment with us by offering:
- A two year continuing care plan
- Teletherapy sessions
- Weekly group therapy sessions
Our Location, Three Hours From Anglesey
Smarmore Castle is situated just three hours from Anglesey, Wales, in a stunning, countryside location in the Republic of Ireland. Patients will find both comfort and privacy in a renovated 14th-century castle, housing excellent facilities including a leisure centre, gym and swimming pool. It is set within 15 acres of scenic landscape, which patients are able to explore in their leisure time.
Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous in Anglesey
We recommend you begin your journey to abstinence by seeking self-help through attending peer support groups in Wales. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings are organised across Wales, in Anglesey, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham among others. They provide an invaluable network of support for those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction in Wales.
Quick Assessment & Admissions

Avoiding Relapse After Treatment
When a patient completes their treatment at Smarmore Castle, and returns to their normal, daily life, we understand that they will face many old triggers to drinking alcohol or using drugs that could threaten their recovery process. These triggers could be in the form of the people in their lives, or habitual behaviours carried out in response to stimuli in their environments. For example, walking past the off-licence where you used to purchase alcohol.
Therefore, we equip patients with the mental resources necessary to avoid relapsing in these situations. Some of these include learning coping mechanisms for occasions when cravings occur, developing improved self-esteem, and minimising denial. If you wish to learn more about strategies for avoiding relapse, please visit this page.
- How to Access Rehab With Health Insurance
For those experiencing existing mental health conditions in Ireland, there are private medical insurers who can help you cover treatment. As addiction experts, we know that receiving the appropriate care and support when you have a mental health disorder is pivotal to attaining long-lasting recovery. Below, we will go through the various health insurance options to help you understand your options when it comes to seeking private residential care for substance abuse. Please note that there is no guarantee that you can be covered for all addiction problems as policies are always assessed on a case-by-case basis. Find Out More
- My Loved One Doesn’t Want Help, What Do I Do?
You can’t force someone to go to rehab. At the end of the day, it needs to be their decision because they are the ones that need to be open to turning their lives around. There are ways in which you can encourage someone to enter treatment, one of these ways is via an intervention with a trained interventionist, who facilitates an honest discussion between family members and the addict. This is something Smarmore Castle can arrange – contact us today.
- Which Drugs Does Smarmore Castle Detox From?
We can detox people from any drugs whether they are illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, ketamine; or prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines or zopiclone, oxycodone, zolpidem, klonopin, methadone, cannabis; and legal drugs such as alcohol.
- How Long Is the Treatment Programme?
Our treatment programme starts at 4 weeks and is flexible in length, giving you the opportunity to extend for a longer period if you need it.
- Do You Treat Dual Diagnosis?
All patients are reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist in the first week and we can diagnose and provide treatment for a number of co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Do I Need to Be Abstinent Before Admission?
Our medically managed detoxification with 24/7 medical cover means that we can perform complete and complex detoxes at Smarmore Castle. You don’t need to be abstinent before arrival.
- How Do I Get To Rehab Safely?
Smarmore Castle is one hour north of Dublin international airport and we can arrange a driver to collect you and bring you straight to us for free.
We can also arrange a ‘sober transport’ service with a trusted driver, from anywhere in Ireland or Northern Ireland, at an additional cost.