Category: Irish Castles

The following is written on a stone slab in Grannagh Castle:

“The ruins of the once proud castle now stand on an eminence on the banks of the River Siur. The castle itself is supposed to have been erected about 500 years ago. It was formerly a Strong Fortress and the residence of the proud Earls and Dukes of Ormond who held there, their Baronial Courts and lived in all the pomp and splendour of Feudal Magnificence. This Venerable Fabric was in part demolished during the Civil Wars of unhappy Ireland and the spoliating hands of the thoughtless neighbouring peasantry had nearly completed its destruction when George Roche. Esq. being desirous of preserving from total ruin the feeble remains of this once proud monument of the architectural skill of the ancient Irish, caused the new wall on the other side to be built at a considerable expense and all the breaches in the old one to be filled up under the superintendence of Edward Rorke a mason of the city of Waterford 24th December 1827.”

The ruins of the former stronghold is now protected by crumbling walls, the corner towers still intact, and in the arch of the mullioned window in its north wall by two angels, one of which representing Michael the Archangel, weighing the souls on Judgement day.

The 13th Century castle is said to have been built by the le Poers, who had been granted the whole of Waterford and southern portion of Kilkenny after the Norman invasion in 1169.

In 1375 Eustace le Poer was executed for treason and Edward the III granted the castle to James Butler, the 2nd Earl of Ormond. Some time after that, in the 15th Century, the main tower house of the castle was built and in keeping with many others of its kind at that time, it was both a sign of wealth and for defence purposes. 

The Castle was taken by Cromwell’s forces in 1650 and was mostly destroyed after being fired on with two cannons.

The castle can be seen from the N24 (just off the the M9), heading into Waterford city. It is open to the public and easily accessible, though the main building is locked up and not open to the public.

The Rock of Dunamase is an historic attraction found overlooking the valley of the O’Moores, just outside Portlaoise, County Laois. Dunamase was as an early christian dun known as Dun Masc (“the Fort of Masc”). The earliest historical reference to Dunamase is in the annals of the four masters which states that Dun Masc was pillaged by the vikings in 842AD.

Later in the 12th century, when the Normans arrived in Ireland, Dunamase became one of the most important Anglo-Norman strongholds in Co Laois. It was part of the dowry of Aoife, the daughter of Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Leinster, when she was given in marriage to the Norman conqueror Strongbow in 1170. When Isabel, the daughter of Strongbow and Aoife, wed William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, Dunamase was given as part of her marriage’s wedding gift. 

From 1325 until 1609, the castle belonged to the O’Moore family of Laois, after which ownership passed to the Earl of Thomond. It was fatally damaged during the Cromwellian invasion in 1650.

Today what remains of the castle and it’s walls is ruins, but its location on the rock, overlooking the surrounding countryside offers visitors breathtaking views. I really enjoyed visiting the castle and the views offered by its vantage point and highly recommend a visit to this amazing place.

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Synone castle (Irish: Farrin-a-Urrigh) is a 16th century cylindrical towerhouse situated in Farranavarra, Boherlahan, Co Tipperary.

Little is known about the history of this lovely little castle, except that is is said that many of Strongbows’ forces, in retreat from Cashel, were attacked and buried here.  Human remains were dug up near the tower and years ago a large helmet was discovered. The castle and surrounds however appears to have no official architectural significance.

The castle was at some point the residence of the Butler family and it is said that it was attacked by Cromwell’s army. What remains today is a small, cylindrical ruined tower in fairly good shape, which can be viewed from the roadside. It’s locked up and accessible via the driveway of the adjacent private home. Please respect the privacy of it’s residents when visiting the castle.

Kanturk Castle is an impressive fortified house, built in 1601 for MacDonagh McCarthy as a defence against English settlers. According to legend, the seven stone masons that worked on the castle were all named John, giving the castle the name of Carrig-na-Shane-Saor meaning The Rock of John the Mason.

Known locally as the Old Court, Kanturk castle is a limestone rubble Tudor mansion measuring four storeys high, 28 metres (±92 feet) in length and 11 metres (36 feet) wide, with four towers, each five storeys high, measuring to a height of 29 metres (95 feet).

According to legend, the castle was never completed as word of its construction reached the Privy Council in England. They ordered MacDonagh to stop building works, as they feared it would be used as a base to attack English settlers. Macdonogh was said to be so outraged at this news that he smashed all the blue ceramic tiles meant for the roof and threw them into a nearby stream. The stream became known as the Bluepool Stream, because of the reflection of the tiles in the water.

Over the years, the property changed ownership a number of times, and was eventually donated to the National Trust by Lucy, Countess of Egmont under the condition that it be kept as a ruin in the same condition as it was at time of hand over. The Trust have been managing the Castle and grounds since July 2000 and it is designated as a National Monument.

Kanturk Castle is located about 1.5km (just under a mile) from the market town of Kanturk in County Cork. Take the R579 from town and look for the castle on your right hand side.

Loughmoe Castle (Irish: Caisláin Luach Magh) also known as Loughmore Castle, is situated just outside Loughmoe Village, near Templemore in County Tipperary. The castle was the ancestral home of the Purcell family, the Barons of Loughmoe.

Loughmoe Castle, and the village of Loughmoe nearby, is often referred to as Loughmore (The Big Lake), but the Irish translation of the area is Luach Mhagh, meaning “the field of the reward”, and it alludes to the manner in which the Purcells first gained proprietorship of area.

The oldest part of the castle was originally built in the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries, and consists of a four-storey tower-house. Additions were later made by the Purcell family in the seventeenth century. The Purcell family lived in Loughmoe Castle until around 1760. The castle has since been unoccupied and left to fall into ruin and today is left in derelict, but still impressive state.

There is a wonderful legend around how the Purcell family acquired the castle. It is said that many years ago there lived a king in Loughmoe Castle, and the densely wooded land around it was terrorised by a boar and sow of “gigantic size”, who uprooted crops and killed whoever they came into contact with.

To rid the countryside of these beasts, the king offered their slayer the hand of his daughter, the castle at Loughmoe and the vast lands around it. After many other hunters had tried and failed to get rid of the beasts, a youth by the name of Purcell sought permission to hunt them. According to legend he made his way through the nearby forest by leaping from branch to branch, until he finally reached the spot where the creatures were resting. With his bow he fired arrows at them from above, until at last two of his shots went into the mouths of beasts, who fled in pain and terror. They were later found dead near Thurles, and Purcell claimed his generous prize. The area in which the castle stands is therefor known as “the field of the reward”, referring to the gift Purcell received from the King.

The legend is alluded to in the Purcell family’s coat of arms, which depicts the heads of four boars.

The castle is situated on privately owned farmland, but when I enquired I learned the owners do allow visitors to go view the castle up close, as long as it’s understood that they do so at their own risk, as the building is not safe, due to it’s derelict state. If you would like to go see the ruins up close, look for the big white house nearest the castle and go knock on the door. The lady we spoke to at the house was lovely and happy to tell us about the castle and direct us to it.

Carey’s Castle is situated about 4km from Clonmel off the Dungarvan road (just over the border in Co Waterford). There is a small lawn with picnic site close to the car park, from where there is walk of about 500m through mixed woodland to where the castle is, next to the river.

This area was known as Glenabbey, with the name thought to derive from a small ecclesiastical site positioned here as an offshoot of the Cistercian monastery of Inishlounaght at Clonmel. In the years following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the lands of Glenabbey were granted to Edward Gough. By the turn of the 19th century, the site became the property of the Carey family, who are thought to have built the little castle that stands here today.

The Careys were wealthy schoolmasters in the Clonmel area, and their love of history is shown in the design of the house, where you can see a number of historical architectural styles represented. The early Irish round tower, a medieval Norman-style hall and both Romanesque and Gothic-style arches present in the ruins.

To the back of the main group of buildings is a stone ice-house. This type of building was used to keep food cold before the modern convenience of home appliances like refrigerators.

The Careys sold their properties including Glenabbey when they emigrated to Australia in around the 1840s. It was purchased by a Colonel Greene, however he became bankrupt soon after and the site became derelict ans stands in ruins today.

There are about 2 km of forest walks around the castle and about 600m of beautiful riverside to walk along. Along the riverside walk there is a profusion of birch, oak, beech and ash with some spruce and larch.

The Norman castle at Ferns was constructed on a base of volcanic rock by William Marshall around the year 1220. Marshall was one of the most renowned knights of this period. The Marshalls held control of the castle until it was burnt by the Irish clans in 1346 and was eventually taken by the Kavanaghs who held control over the town of Ferns until 1540, after which the crown regained control and a Governor was installed. The castle was finally blown up in 1641 by Charles Coote, a parliamentarian (though some sources blame Cromwellian forces in 1649).

The remains of the castle is still quite impressive, though only about half it still stands. It was originally square shaped with four large round towers at each corner, the south eastern tower is still intact and is open to the public by way of a guided tour.

During excavations in 1972-75 a rock-cut ditch was discovered around the castle walls and a drawbridge structure was also found on the south side. The castle was surrounded by the ditch for defence. This was not a moat though, as it did not contain water, but was used instead as a dump for waste food and such. This ditch was eventually filled in but was excavated in the 1970’s by the OPW and most of it reopened although only to about half of its former depth. Painstaking work has been made to restore what could be repaired and this shows through to this day.

A modern visitor centre located on-site features information about the historical site as well as the well-known Ferns Tapestry. Depicting the history of Ferns in stitch work, from the arrival of Saint Aidan in 598 AD to the coming of the Normans in 1169, the Ferns Tapestry remains a valuable historical artefact today.

Visitors can freely walk around the castle and its courtyard, but the only access to the tower and basement is by way of the guided tour which is free of charge.

Opening Times:
Mid May to Mid September – 10.00am to 5.00pm, last admission is at 4.15pm
Admission is Free
October to April – Closed

Situated less than 300m from Mullinahone Village, Co Tipperary, Killaghy Castle is a historic Norman castle that dates back to 1206. The St. Aulyus lived there for 8 years and then erected a stone castle to take the place of the moat and Bailey (a man-made hill of earth with a fortified wooden house on top).  The Baily was usually a raised platform of earth adjoining the mound and enclosed by a wooden stockade.

Later in the 15th and 16th century, a tower house was built. The tower house was a tall slender castle of stone, and was built primarily for defence. During Tudor times in the 16th century, a long house was added. The 18th century then saw the construction of two further buildings forming the structure of Killaghy Castle as we know it today.

Killaghy castle had numerous owners over the years. The original owners were Cromwellian planters by the name of Greene who in turn, through marriage, passed ownership to Despards and then in turn to Wright. The castle has also been owned by Watson, Fox, Naughton, Bradshaw, and Sherwood.

The castle has undergone extensive restoration over recent years, preserving the historic atmosphere with the sensitive integration of modern comforts. Stone buildings at the back of the castle date as far back as 1400 and have been tastefully restored and converted into self-catering units.

Today, the castle serves as a four-star self-catering accommodation available for holiday home hire, group bookings, parties, activity weekends and more. For more information and bookings see here:

Email: killaghycastle@gmail.com

Web: http://killaghycastle.com/

Phone: +353 (0)52 53112

The castle is the town of Nenagh’s oldest building, dating back to the 13th Century when Theobald FitzWalter, whose successors would become Earls and Dukes of Ormond, built the castle. Upon its completion c.1220 it served as the main seat of the Butler family. The castle was at one time surrounded by walls, along which were placed a gate house and two defensive towers. Though after renovations the castle is in a good state of repair, very little remains today of the gatehouse and one of the small towers.

It was at Nenagh Castle, in 1336, that a peace treaty was signed between James, the 1st Earl of Ormond, and a representative of the O’Kennedy family. The treaty included terms of peace and grants of lands for the Gaelic clan, but the agreement is more noteworthy because of what became of it over 600 years later. The treaty was presented as a gift to John F. Kennedy during his state visit to Ireland in 1963, and it is now housed in the J.F.K Library in Massachusetts. As for the O’Kennedy’s adherence to the treaty, they would go on to break its terms in spectacular fashion in 1347-8, when they unsuccessfully attacked the Castle and burnt the town. In this endeavour they were assisted by the O’Briens and O’Carrolls.

During the course of the Confederate and Cromwellian Wars the castle was seized on three separate occasions, until it was finally granted to Col. Daniel Abbot, along with extensive lands, in lieu of pay from Cromwell. The Butlers regained it after the Restoration in 1660. During the Jacobite War Anthony O’Carroll took the Castle from James, the 2nd Duke, who supported William, but it was retaken in August 1690, by Ginkel. Two years later William ordered its demolition so that it would be “rendered indefensible in ill hands”. The castle however was only partly damaged. Further destruction was wrought in 1750, when a farmer called Newsome attempted to demolish the Castle, as the sparrows it housed were destroying his barley crop nearby.

The battlements on top of the keep were rebuilt in 1861 and further conservation was undertaken in 1929. In 1985 the field around the Castle was developed as a small town park. The Office of Public works currently maintains the building. The castle is open to the public during the summer months, details below.

Opening Times Summer 2017:
Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 16.30
Last admission: 15.45
Admission: Free

Burnchurch Castle is a well-preserved 15th century Norman tower house with a round gate tower, situated 6.5 km (4.0 miles) south west of Kilkenny city, off the Clonmel Road. It is 6 km from Ballybur, near Cuffesgrange, the town of Callan, as well as Kells Priory. It is located in Burnchurch parish and was in the barony of Shillelogher.

It is said to have been built and owned by the Fitzgeralds of the house of Desmond in 15th century and continued to be occupied until 1817.

Of the original accompanying structures,  only the 12.5m high circular turret still remains, though a walled courtyard was originally attached to the castle. The castle itself is six storeys high and has an unusually large number of passages and chambers inside the walls. A great hall was formerly attached to the tower’s outside wall, but this has now vanished, as has most a bawn with a 41 foot tall tower at one corner. Old drawings of a date unknown, show remnants of buildings originally found on the site.

Many tower houses have mural chambers and passages hidden away within their walls, though few have the number and complexity of those found in Burnchurch Castle, which include numerous narrow rooms in the walls, including a “secret room” on the fourth floor. There used to be great hall attached to an outside wall of the tower, but that is now gone. There is a vault under the castle above which is the main chamber, with access to the upper three floors via an outside staircase. Notable features of the castle include mullioned windows, a fine carved fireplace and a round chimney which may have been a later addition.

It is known for being one of several Irish towers with the slightly narrower sides of the castle extending up an additional floor, creating in essence a pair of tower wide turrets.

Burnchurch Castle and tower, along with the Church of Ireland church, and the lime trees became a National Monument in 1993 and is accessible to the public.