castles historical westmeath

Athlone Castle was built in 1210 by John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich, for King John of England. From 1569-1672 it was the headquarters of the Presidents of Connacht. The Castle was occupied by Col. Richard Grace, Governor of Athlone during the first Siege of Athlone in 1690 and also played a major role in the second Siege of 1691.

In the Napoleonic era the Castle was remodelled for defence and took on much of its present appearance. The Castle served for almost 300 years as an...

Tullynally has been the seat of the Pakenhams, later Earls of Longford, for over 300 years. Set in beautiful parkland and woods adjoining Lough Derravaragh, it is now probably the largest castle in Ireland still lived in as the family home; a forest of towers and turrets nearly a quarter of a mile round....

The castle is said to have been built in 1181 by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, for his brother-in-law, Sir Gilbert de Nugent, who resided in it for some time before building the neighbouring castle of Clonyn. But the castle was probably built in the early 13th century.

It was originally square in plan with four rounded turrets at the corner but only the western half of the castle remains, with two of the rounded turrets. The lower portion is now used as a shop store; the upper portion...

This town is about 13 miles from Mullingar and was built in the late 17th century by the Pollard family under a charter from Charles II. The old National school has been converted into an agricultural museum and heritage centre. Just outside Castlepollard in Tullynally Castle, the home of the Earl of Longford's family, the Packenhams.

The gardens are open from May to September....

From an unpretentious crossing point on the Shannon, the ford of Luan, Athlone, grew to be the largest town in Westmeath.; The possession of the ford of Athlone has been disputed from earliest times. In 1001 Brian Boru marched there with a great army; in 1129 King Turlough O'Conor erected a wattle bridge there and in 1199 the Normans occupied the town and in 1257 built the town walls, part of which can still be seen. After their defeat at the Boyne in 1690, the Irish withdrew to Athlone and m...