COUNTY CLARE - CASTLES

Ballinalacken Castle

Ballinalacken Castle is a two-stage tower house of uncertain date but most likely built in the 15th or early 16th century. It is located on a limestone outcrop overlooking the road from Lisdoonvarna to Fanore in the grounds of Ballinalacken Castle Hotel which was built in 1840 as the home of Lord O`Brien. The name is taken from the townland where it is located, the original Irish version of which is Baile na Leacan, which means the town (land) of the flagstones. The basements of Ballinalacken Castle are thought to have been set as far as the 10th century, by another noted Irish clan, the O`Connor`s, who ruled West Corcomroe in those times. The fortress was founded in the 14th century and Lochlan MacCon O`Connor was in charge of its first rebuilding.


Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle is situated alongside the River Ratty in the center of the village between Shannon and Cork which are only 7 miles away. The first stone castle to be built on the site was in the 1270`s by Thomas De Clare. The castle is a large single tower house over five floors, built in grey stone. It is the most authentically restored and complete medieval fortresses in Ireland and situated within a folk park of 26 acres. The main attraction to visitors of Bunratty Castle is the collection of medieval furniture and objects with over 450 pieces on display. All the articles are genuine, not reproductions. There are knowledgeable guides to talk about both the pieces and life for the castles occupants. The castle is open all year (with the exception of Christmas and good Friday) and closes at 16:00 to prepare for the nightly banquet; tickets are available separately.

Carrigaholt Castle

Set on the verge of a cliff overlooking the Shannon Estuary, this is a tall, well-preserved tower house built around the end of the fifteenth century by the MacMahons, chiefs of the Corcabascin Peninsula. Standing in one corner of a tur reted bawn, it has five storeys with a vault on the fourth floor and most of the usual tower-house features, such as a murder hole inside the entrance, a mural winding stair and pistol loops. The castle was occupied by Teige Caech `the short sighted` MacMahon, in September 1588 when seven ships of the Spanish Armada anchored at Carrigaholt. Although aid was refused by the MacMahons, the castle was nonetheless unsuccessfully besieged shortly afterwards by Sir Conyers Clifford. The following year the renegade fourth Earl of Thomond captured it after a four-day siege and, in breach of the surrender terms, hanged all the defenders. Ownership then passed to the Earl`s brother Donal, who was responsible for inserting many of the castle`s windows as well as the fireplace on the fifth floor, which bears, the date 1603. After the forfeiture of his extensive 57,000 acre estate by the Williamites, the castle was acquired by the Burton family who held it until the present century.

Located 7 miles SW of Kilkee on W side of the jetty at Carrigaholt.

Doonagore Castle

Doonagore Castle is situated on a hill about half way between the village of Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. The castle is a round tower house with a small courtyard enclosed by a defensive wall. With its elevated position overlooking Doolin Point, the castle serves as a navigational landmark for boats approaching Doolin Pier. Doonagore Castle was built in the 16th century, although an earlier castle stood on the site since the 1300s. The castle was granted to Sir Turlough O`Brien of Ennistymon in 1582. During the retreat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, one of the fleeing Spanish ships was shipwrecked off the coast and 170 survivors were captured and hanged at Doonagore Castle. The castle had started to fall into disrepair by the early 1800s, and was repaired by Counselor Gore, but again deteriorated by the middle of the 19th century. In the 1970`s, it was restored by architect Rex MacGovern for an American buyer named O`Gorman. The castle is still owned by the O`Gorman family.

Doonagore Castle is a private holiday home and not open to the public.

Doonbeg Castle

This is an Irish tower castle from 16th century. It overlooks the Doonbeg River which flows into the bay of Dunmore on the Atlantic Irish coast. The castle is about seventy feet high. A spiral staircase which leads to the top commands a great view. Two families of Country Clare are related to this tower house - the clan MacMahon and the clan O`Brien. Doonbeg Castle was originally built for Daniel O`Brien, the Earl of Thomond. Turlough MacMahon of West Clare took Doonbeg in 1585. Some 10 years later, 1595, O`Brien reclaimed Doonbeg. In 1619 Daniel O`Brien gave Doonbeg Castle to James Comyn. The Crown took possession of it in 1688 and it was sold in 1703. By the late 1800`s the Castle of Doonbeg had fallen into disrepair, like so many other Irish castles. Several local families lived on the different floors of Doonbeg Castle until the 1930`s.

Dromoland Castle

Dromoland Castle is situated 8 miles from Shannon. It is set in over 400 acres of landscaped grounds on the side of a lake. The castle is approached by a long sweeping drive from the lodge. It is a gothic revival or Baronial building made entirely from dark blue limestone with four irregular castellated turrets and a later Queen Anne addition. The castle is set in formal gardens with the lake to the west. The present building was completed in 1835. However, the first building constructed here seems to have been a tower house built in the 15th or early 16th century and is recorded as being erected by Thomas, the son of Shane Mac Anerheny. There were at least three houses on the site, at various times, called Dromoland. It has four linked irregular castellated turrets. A gothic porch to the north front displays the O`Brien arms. The western portion faces out to the lake, and the east towards the hill where Thomond House now stands. The large walled gardens are to the south. In 1902 the 15th Baron Inchiquin, Lucius, took the old 17th century gateway from Leamaneh and erected it at the entrance to the large walled garden. A long curving drive leads from the gateway and classical lodge, passing north of the lake and round to the front door of Dromoland Castle.

Dromoland Castle was bought by United States citizen, Bernard McDonough. It has since then been converted for use as a top-grade luxurious hotel.

Dysert O`Dea Castle

The castle is built on a rocky outcrop, 3 miles south of Corofin, and 7 miles north of Ennis. Dysert O`Dea Castle is a fully restored castellated Gaelic Tower house built in grey stone over four floors. It was on this site in 1318 that the Battle of Dysert O`Dea was fought and was responsible for the departure of the Anglo Normans from the area for over 200 years. It is situated on an archaeological site with twenty five other field monuments. Clare Archaeology Center is now housed in the Dysert O`Dea Castle. Within the castle`s ten rooms are many displays of local artifacts dating back to 1000BC, a medieval carpenter and mason`s workshop and `The Modern History Room` with objects from 1700AD up until 2000AD. The castle also has its own audio visual presentation and perhaps one of the most popular activities is the walk along the roof with views over the surrounding countryside. Also on the site is the Dysert O`Dea church from the 12th century with the remains of a round tower and St. Tola`s High Cross. The cross also dates back to the 12th century and is said to be one of the finest examples of this kind of structure in Ireland. The castle is also part of the Archeology and History trail which takes in all twenty five points of interest within the site.

The castle has its own tearoom and bookshop and is open daily between 1st May to 30th September between 10am and 6pm.

Gleninagh Castle

Looking down from a hillside across the wide expanse of Galway Bay, this well-preserved sixteenth-century tower house stands guard over the northern shoreline of the Burren. It has a distinctive L-shaped plan comprising an oblong tower of four storeys with a projecting turret containing a spiral stair. The entrance doorway, which may have been moved from elsewhere, lies at first-floor level with a protecting machicolation high above in the turret. Striking round bartizans are present on three corners of the main tower, while an attic in its roof was contained behind gables on all four sides. The third storey is vaulted and there is another over a dark basement, which may have been used as a prison. In the end wall a number of window embrasures were later blocked for fireplaces. The castle was built for the O`Loughlins (O`Lochlainns), who were still resident in the 1840s. It remained occupied until the 1890s.

Knappogue Castle

Knappogue Castle can be found 17 miles from Shannon in a pleasant open countryside setting amongst the hills of County Clare. Knappogue castle was built by Sean MacNamara in 1467 and became the home of the MacNamara clan leader Donagh who led the Irish rebellion in 1641. The castle is a fully restored medieval tower house in just over an acre of gardens which have also been replanted with climbing roses, grapevines and a collection of clematis growing over the tall walls.

From May until September Knappogue Castle and Gardens are open for the public to freely wander around during the daytime. The castle also offers a nightly Medieval Banquet experience, with an evening of traditional song and dance following in the footsteps of the castle`s previous owners. From October until April the castle is transformed into a wedding venue with private blessings available in the castle`s chapel and receptions in the Great Hall. The bridal suite, situated in one of the castle`s wings, boasts five bedrooms and is furnished with period furniture and a welcoming open fire.

Lemaneagh Castle

The magnificent ruins of the great O`Brien stronghold of Lemaneagh stand on the southern fringe of that limestone wilderness known as the Burren. It is a lonely place, some call it bleak, and perhaps a surprising location for a splendid four-storey, high-gabled, early seventeenth-century mansion with rows of large mullioned and transformed windows. The early part of the building at the east end is, by contrast, a rather grim five-storey tower lemanagh c.1500, with narrow slit openings for windows, a tier of small chambers and a spiral stair. Its entrance passage, with drawbar holes for inner and outer doors, was probably later reserved for servants, as the gabled mansion had its own front door. Indeed, this mansion, which clearly replaced an earlier hall block on the site, is likely also to have had its own timber stair for access to the living rooms on the first and second floors, as the kitchen and offices were on the ground floor. Defensive features connected to the later mansion appear to be few; there is a low-hung bartizan on the corner and a wing with wall-walk on the opposite side. However, it is no longer readily apparent that the building was once surrounded by a walled bawn with a projecting defensive parapet. This was entered through a fine round-headed gateway with heavy corbels and two coats of arms, one the quartered bearings of Conor O`Brien, 1643, and the other those of his son Sir Donat O`Brien, 1690. An inscription states that it was `built in the year 1643 by Conor O`Brien and by Mary ni Mahon, wife of the said Connor`. Sadly, this gateway was moved in recent decades to Dromoland where it stands in the walled garden.

The site can only be seen over the low roadside wall, as the land-owner is presently preventing access to visitors.

Newtown Castle

Newtown Castle is set in open countryside 1.5 miles south west of Ballynaughan. It was built in the 16th century by part of the O`Brien clan. From the top of the castle it is possible to see Galway Bay, Connemara and Corkscrew hill. The castle is a five storey fortified circular tower house set on a square pyramid base giving the impression of a rocket ship. The castle has been restored and it is possible to visit all levels of the tower via a spiral staircase. The ground floor boasts a dome vaulted ceiling and walls that are over twelve feet thick in places; this is originally where the food would have been stored. The first floor has narrow windows which were used for defense and the second floor has a small door opening onto the outside; 30 feet down, where the occupants could have climbed down a ladder as an escape route. The towers main hall also has a dome vaulted ceiling and a balcony looking out over the countryside beyond and the top floor has a new conical oak roof.

The castle is open to the public all year from 10am until 6pm with tours available. The top floor now being used as a gallery for the nearby Burren College of Art. The castle is also a good place to start the Newtown Nature Trail a guided walk of just under a mile