ralahine castle

A 16th century MacNamara Castle, right off the road leading from Newmarket to Sixmilebridge, 1km further on you turn left and travel another 1km to the site.

The castle has long been unoccupied, but the estate, then the property of the Vandeleur family, became celebrated in the 19th century as the site of a rural co-operative enterprise, initiated by the then landlord, John Scott Vandeleur, as a means of dealing with the militancy of his refractory tenants. He introduced English experts, Edward Craig of Manchester and Robert Owen of New Lanark in Scotland to organise the venture and the Ralahine Agricultural and Manufacturing Co-operative Association began work in 1831. The commune, after initial success, came to grief because of the gambling debts and flight of Vandaleur, who had retained ownership of the estate. The Co-operative was disbanded in 1833.