castles historical ireland

This beautiful park is wovan around the lake and islands of Lough Oughter. A number of marked trails range in length from 1.5km to 2.8km, each offering enchanted views and a diversity of habitat for the wild fauna.

Norway and Sitka spruce are the main tree species with a considerable amount of mixed woodland, including ash, oak, birch, sycamore, beech and alder. Stoat, badger, fox, grey squirrrel, hedgehog and rabbit are among the variety of fauna which can be spotted here.

The t...

The castle was built around 1200 as an Episcopal manor. It is 5-sided, enclosing a courtyard of considerable size.
It is entered by a strong gateway with a porter's room on the left, and on the right a priest's room with remains of mid-13th century windows and a first floor reached by a spiral staircase.

Beyond it is a chapel of fourteenth-century date, with parts of an original tiled floor; its windows have been built up. The tower at the north end of the wall was the residence...

Originally used as a fort in Early Christian times, this is one of the most superbly and strategically sited castles in the country; it is unfortunate that its state of preservation does not match its siting. On the arrival of the Normans, the site was in the hands of Dermot McMurrough Kavanagh.

Through his marriage with Eva, it fell into the hands of his father-in-law Strongbow, and then through his daughter Isabella to William Marshall. The castle is first mentioned in 1215 when...

Howth Castle, an irregular battlemented structure founded in 1464, although the present fabric dates mainly from the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
The castle is not open to the public but you can visit the grounds, famous for their rhododendron gardens which boast over two thousand varieties.
Also in the castle grounds are the National Transport Museum, with its display of service vehicles including the Hill of Howth No 9 Tram; the ruined square tower of the sixteenth-cen...

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...

19th century harvest traditions brought to life at Bunratty Folk Park.
Harvest traditions from over 100 years ago will be brought to life at Bunratty Folk Park, when a traditional 19th century Harvest Day will be held by Shannon Heritage, the tourism subsidiary for Shannon Development. One of the highlights of the day will be the vintage threshing machine in the haggard at the Folk Park. Visitors can watch the crew of farmers at work, demonstrating the art of threshing, as they sepa...

A small oblong tower, with two three-quarters round turrets (one a staircase) at diagonally opposite corners, and dating to the late 16th century. It was originally surrounded by a strong wall and traces of the ditch outside this wall still remain. It was taken by Docwra in 1601 but returned to Sir Cahir O'Doherty in 1603. It was besieged again in 1607 but not take by the English until 1608 and was later granted to Sir Arthur Chichester. For a long time it remained an important English garrison....

This charming informal garden on the banks of the Argideen river has been created by five generations of the Travers family.
The 121 ha estate was originally purchased with the village of Timoleague by Colonel Robert E. Travers in 1818 and he began laying out the grounds around the later Georgian house he built there. Each generation of the Travers family has added to the gardens over the intervening 160 years.

The gardens are a tribute to their plantsmanship and palm trees and ot...

The town grew up around the castle built by Richard de Burgo in the early 13th century. in 1396 it became a royal borough, and a stronghold of the English Crown. It became a wealthy trading centre ruled by the fourteen 'tribes' of Galway including the Joyces and the Lynches. The town was burned in 1473, surrendered to the Cromwellians in 1652 and suffered heavily in the Williamite wars.

St. Nicholas's Church:

In Market Street is the Church of Ireland church of St....

Lynch’s Castle was once the home to the most powerful family in Galway. This incredible limestone building is a fine example of an Irish gothic style. The Lynch Family’s Coat of Arms can still be seen today, as can other proprietors of the house Henry and the Fitzgerald’s of Kildare.
Situated between Shop Street and Abbeygate Street, this castle gives us a rare glimpse of old Galway....