castles historical ireland

Probably built by Richard de Burgo in 1300, this was possibly the strongest castle in Connacht. The castle was probably captured by the O'Conors in 1317, but was taken from them in the course of local struggles by Mac Diarmada in 1347. By 1381 it had passed to the MacDonaghs. Although attached to Tadhg MacDiarmada in 1561, it had apparently passed to O'Conor Sligo by 1571, at which time he surrendered the castle and had it regranted to him by the English. In 1577 the castle fell into English...

The eastern portion of the castle is a 5-story tower built about 1480, with stone vault on the top floor, and a number of holes for guns. A four-storey mansion was added to the west of the tower in the 1640s, and it has some mullioned windows (some of which are modern). Beside the castle was a large bawn, remnants of which can be seen on both sides of the road. The original gate, with an inscription saying that it was erected by Conor O'Brien and his wife Maire Ni Mahon in 1643, was removed a...

The remains of a once fine 13th century castle, built by the Mac Jordans. The curtain wall encloses an area roughly hexagonal in shape which contains the foundations of a number of buildings. The wall probably dates to the early years of the 13th century, but the two rounded gate-bastions, of which only one remains, were built around 1260....

Ireland's most popular attraction, Bunratty Castle is also the most complete and authentic mediaeval castle in Ireland....

It is square in plan, but has an L-shaped addition to guard the entrance. Access is gained directly to the ground floor, and a stairway leads up immediately to the main first-floor chamber, which is defended by a murder hole in the vault above. Access to the upper floors was gained by a spiral staircase within the walls. The tower was probably built by a member of the Savage family in the 16th century, and in 1635 Patrick Savage's brother-in-law, Sir James Montgomery of Rosemount, repaired t...

A well preserved 15th century castle with it's timber floors and a number of its original features intact.

Access is only availble by appointment only. Please ring the number above for more information ans to avail of the key....

Rathumney is a hall-castle of a type common in the 13th and 14th centuries. The centre of the building was occupied by a hall, two storeys high, off which opened living rooms with fireplaces.

There is a tower at the south-eastern corner of the castle. Practically all the decorated stonework has been removed, but gently rounded arches still span the larger door and window openings. Little is known of the history of the castle other than that it was probably built by the Prendergasts....

Of the three castles which one guarded the port, this was probably the one originally named Coraine. It is a four-storey tower, scarcely earlier than the 16th century, with gun-loops on the ground floor.

It is thought to have been built by the Bissets, and is located close to where Edward Bruce is believed to have landed in 1315....

Centrepiece of Baltimore is the ruin of the 17th century castle, seat of the O'Driscoll clan....