castles historical around ballinasloe portumna

This is a well-preserved four-storey tower with good fireplaces on the three upper floors. The two-and-three-mullioned windows, and the oval hole at the bottom of the stairs, were probably copied from Portumna Castle nearby, which had only recently been built.

The tower forms part of an L-shaped bawn with rounded turrets at opposite corners. On the corbels of the turret at the north-eastern corner of the tower is the inscription 'D': OM ME: FIERI: FECIT: 1643' which states that a man...

Ballinasloe Castle which commanded the bridge over the River Suck, was built by the O'Kelly's in the 14th century. Later it belonged to the Earl of Clanricarde and was captured by Ireton at the Cromwellian War.

One tower and part of the curtain wall are all that remain. Portion of the present bridge was built to the order of Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century....

The impressive castle at Portumna was the seat of the Clanricarde Burkes, the most important landowners in County Galway. It was completed in 1617 by Richard Burke, the 4th Earl of Clanricarde, but was destroyed by fire in 1826.
The Office of Public Works has been involved in its restoration in recent times. It's a large building, rectangular in shape, with four square towers at the corners. It was one of the first buildings in Ireland with Renaissance features and is also noted for the...

Derry Island Castle (17th Century) sited on the left bank down river, is visible. It is known locally as 'Ireton's Castle', but without any hard evidence that Cromwell's son-in-law General passed this way.

As you swing left for Birr there's an old windmill prominent on the hill above Bell Isle House....