CastleDAO — Founder Residency at Slane Castle
A two-week founder residency
inside Slane Castle.
August 24th — September 6th
I · Why CastleDAO Exists
A two-week residency in a historic Irish estate for founders, engineers, and operators building ambitious technology companies. It creates the time, distance, and trusted community that are often missing from day-to-day startup life—so participants can think more clearly, build faster, and form relationships that continue long after the residency ends.
Selective by design, attendance is by application and limited to around eighty founders, engineers, and operators across crypto, AI, and fintech. Everyone arrives with a project in motion, works from a purpose-built space, and presents what they built at a live Demo Day.
II · Why Slane Castle
“Isolation drives focus.
History drives ambition.”
Heritage
Home to the Conyngham family since the 18th century, Slane Castle is one of Ireland’s most recognised cultural landmarks — set on the banks of the River Boyne in County Meath.
Setting
The castle is more than a setting. Its scale, history, and permanence create the conditions for focused work and long-term thinking—a serious place for people building with equal ambition.
III · Built for Hyper Performance
A scale-up environment, inside a castle.
Every detail is engineered for the work — the desk you’d choose, the screens you’d ask for, the silence you’d protect. The castle absorbs the rest.
- 01Shared builder workspace with dedicated desk setup
- 0232-inch monitors at every station
- 03Gigabit internet, 24/7 building access
- 04Quiet focus zones, no walk-ins
- 05Quality catering throughout intensive workdays
- 06Minimal programming — the time is yours to build with
IV · Built for Focus, Designed for Balance
The best ideas come from healthy minds.
Builder performance is the priority — never at the expense of wellbeing. Mornings and breaks are protected. Movement, stretching, and guided breathwork are part of the rhythm, not the agenda.
Activity
Kayaking
Activity
Trail walks
Activity
Wellness facilities
V · Demo Day
What gets built here gets seen.
The residency closes with a live Demo Day, broadcast on a Solana ecosystem channel. A platform for participating teams to surface their work to the right audience — and for sponsors to be present in a room that signals.
50K
Expected live views
50K+
Additional impressions
VI · What CastleDAO Produces
Measured by what leaves, not by what happens inside.
VII · The Annual Vision
An institution, not an event.
“Every summer. Stronger each year.”
Year One
Establish signal.
Year Two
Increase density.
Year Three
Build tradition.
VIII · Supported By
Strategic, aligned, and limited.
Partnership is selected for fit, not for budget. Founding, Residency, and Programme levels exist for organisations whose work compounds with the people in the room. Visibility follows substance — never the other way around.
Supported by
IX · Venue & Travel
Sleep where the programme unfolds.
Stay on the grounds · 22 Aug – 7 Sep 2026
Accommodation
Rooms, cabins, yurts and bell tents at Rock Farm, Slane — the working estate that hosts CastleDAO. A short walk from every session, meal and fireside. Options range from shared bunks to private river-facing rooms, held for participants first and released as the cohort forms.
Rock Farm, Slane, Co. Meath · Ireland
Booking link shared with applicants once approved
Car from Dublin city centre
45–60 minutes · parking on site
Taxi from Dublin city centre
45–60 minutes · approx. €90
From Dublin Airport (car or taxi)
35–40 minutes · approx. €75 · Free Now, Uber, airport taxis
Public transport
Bus Éireann Route 109A from Dublin Airport (Zones 12/13, Stops 8/9/10/12), then onward taxi to Slane
Driving route
M1 north, then N51 to Slane
August 24 — September 6 · Slane Castle