castles historical ireland

Its name - Narrow Water - shows that its site was strategically chosen to guard the narrow stretch of the river which provided Newry with access to the sea. The tower was built by John Sancky around 1560, but by 1608 it had come into the possession of Sir Arthur Magennis, and is known to have been used for industrial purposes in the 18th century. Each of the tower's three floors consists of a single room, and there is a stone vault above the first floor. The tower stands in an irregularly sh...

An imposing tower house and bawn with rounded turrets and wishing chair. Built in 1495 by the Mountgarret family. On private land....

In the midst of a beautiful 700 acre estate on the shores of Strangford Lough, seven miles east of Downpatrick, stands Castle Ward - an 18th century "architectrual wonder"....

Two sides of a four-storey castle which was square in shape with large rounded turrets at the four corners. The two lower storeys were vaulted. Although built in the style of the 13th century castles, it was probably not built till the 15th century. Cromwell is said to have fired on it from the opposite bank of the Boyne on his way from Drogheda to Athboy in 1649...

The rugged Donegal highlands may be one of the bleakest places in Ireland, but in a secluded valley beside a mountain lough is a most remarkable garden....

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 castle consists of a square central courtyard surrounded by walls which are eight feet thick and twenty feet high, with square towers projecting from three sides. On the fourth side is the gate with a pointed arch and a groove for the portcullis. The interior of the castle is bare, but originally there were two-storey structures built up against the inside walls. However, few traces of these remain, and local tradition explains this by saying that the castle was never finished. There is...

Cahir Castle is one of Ireland's largest and best preserved castles situated on a rocky island on the river Suir. The castle's attractions include an excellent audio-visual show called "Partly Hidden and Partly Revealed" (English/French/German/Italian). The show informs visitors of all the main sites of the area. There are also several exhibitions.

The castle was acquired by the Office of Public Works as a National Monument in 1964 and a major scheme of conservation work was undert...

This is an excellent preserved ruin of an 12th century castle. Which was later restored in the 16th century, by John Kenny. During the rebuilding a mass book, that dates back to the 9th century, was found. This is named as the "Stowe Missal". 

The four-storey tower-house stands in a bawn with a round-headed doorway. The second storey has a good fireplace, and the third floor is vaulted. An unusual feature is the window with remains of tracery on the third floor abov...

Buncrana Castle dates from the early 17th century but has not survived the test of time very well. It now stands in ruin, a mere shadow of its once magniciant self. It still gives an excellent impression of what it was once like....