castles historical ireland

Set in 200 acres of rolling pastures and extensive woodland, the attractive facade of Necarne Castle itself provides an impressive backdrop for all equestrian events. Many of the historic outbuildings have been tastefully redeveloped to provide an impressive range of indoor and outdoor facilities.

The refurbished courtyard area of the Castle retains a timeless reminder of the golden era of equestrians and now houses extensive modern stabling facilities. The original walled garden now...

This is a fine early 16th century tower standing in a bawn. The ground and third floors are vaulted, and there are mullioned windows and a fine fireplace on the 3rd floor. The six-sided bawn is one of the best preserved in the country, and the projecting angle in the west wall, constructed so as to have a wider range of fire, is probably imitated from the star-shaped forts. Nearby are the ruins of a contemporary gatehouse.

The castle was one of three built and owned by the O'Shaughne...

A well-preserved tower-house of 15th century date. It has four storeys, and the bottom one is vaulted. There are also some nicely carved trefoil-headed windows. There is a fine 'murder-hole' above the door enabling the defenders to drop things on the heads of intruders. One of the unusual features of the castle are the two turrets, one containing stairs, the other a lavatory, which project from the sides of two diagonally opposite corners....

A landmark on the eastern shore of Lough Corrib for almost seven centuries, it was originally built in the 13th century by Adam Gaynard and occupied by the Gaynard family until the 17th century when George Staunton acquired the castle and the lands.

It remained in his family until 1946, when it became a ruin. Now restored to its former glory with 13th century materials, it is a rare example of a medieval hall house....

The old 17th Century O' Toole castle has been modernised and is privately owned.
A British garrison occupied the castle during the 1798 rebellion and there is a memorial to 36 rebels who were executed following the uprising. The Croghan Valley is a very scenic drive which dips into Wexford and runs below Croghan Mountain to Coolgreany while Holt's Way Drive runs through the village....

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...

Mountjoy Castle is a ruined fort with four rectangular corner towers not far from Washing Bay. It was built in 1602 and was garrisoned during the Willianite wars....

Redwood Castle was constructed by Normans in 1210, but came into the possession of the Mac Egans, the leading Irish Family of Brehon Lawyers in 1350. They established a famous Law School which flourished for three hundred years, until the castle was destroyed by fire in 1650. The ruin was acquired and restored by an Egan lawyer in the 1970s....

The ruins of Roches Castle and three churches are set in a very natural setting near Glanworth.
Near these ruins is the Thirteen Arch Bridge which was built in 1600.
Built over the River Funcheon, it is one of the oldest of its kind found in Ireland....

Typical of the late 13th century, the castle is nearly square in plan, with rectangular towers at the two southern corners, and smaller turrets at the other two corners. Remains of the main interior buildings can be seen on the eastern side of the courtyard. While the castle is not mentioned in existing records until the 14th century, the shape of the trefoil window in the south wall shows that it was built probably towards the end of the 13th century. Clonmore was captured by the Earl of Kil...