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This is not a listing of houses that are for sale, though some details have come from Estate Agents Sites, but
An Approach to An Architectural Archive
of
Some Irish Country Houses
If you would like to stay in a castle go to Adams & Butler at www.irishluxury.com
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| Brackloon Castle Clonfert,
Co Galway (8.5 acres) £120,000 |
 Brackloon derives its name from "Breac Cluain", the speckled meadow. The tower house is close to the village of Clonfert with its fine Norman Cathedral church. Its strong walls, small windows, defensive, turrets and murder hole are ist main features. It is located to the south of the crossroads as one travels from Clonfert to Eyrecourt, and stands on approximately 3.4 hectares (8.5 acres) overlooking a stream and surrounding meadows. There are great opportunities locally for fishing, sailing and cruising on the Shannon. Other local attractions nearby include the Royal city of Clonmacnoise, burial place of the Kings of Connacht. |
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Farney Castle Holycross,
Co. Tipperary |
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| The first castle was built at Farney in 1185 and this would have been a timbered structure. The present round tower was built in 1495 by Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond, and it was part of a defensive system created by the Butlers to protect their land in Tipperary. The Butlers were in Farney Castle for 500 years but in 1536 the castle was confiscated by King Henry VIII of England. He returned the lands again to the Butlers in 1538 when he married Anne Boleyn who was the daughter of James, 3rd Earl of Ormond. Subsequently the castle was occupied for short periods by two other English monarchs namely King James 1st from 1617 - 1625, and King George 1st from 1716 -1721. | In 1649 Cromwell landed in Ireland and shortly after 1650 a Cromwellian soldier named Hulett took over the castle. Then in 1660 Capt. William Armstrong, a Cavalier who supported the Stuarts and who fought against Cromwell, acquired the castle and lands, and there were Armstrongs in the castle for the next 200 years. William Armstrong came from a Scottish Border country family which was famed in the sixteenth century for its ferocity, and in 1677 he purchased large estates in the area including Holy Cross Abbey and Holy Cross lands. The extension to the castle was built in 1790 by William Armstrong and it was designed by Francis Johnston from Armagh who was one of Ireland's greatest architects at the time. The style is "subdued Gothic Revival" and it has been described as a 'successful marriage of Gothic Revival caprice with Regency elegance'. The great Baronial stairs rises squarely to the first floor and the elegant Banqueting Room boasts of four large windows facing west… the collection of rare and modern Harps may be seen in this room. The round tower is 58 ft. high and has five stories. It is unusual in being circular whereas the majority of this sort of tower were square or oblong. It possesses a mural staircase (built within the thickness of the walls) off which it appears that secret rooms still exist undiscovered. |
| Ballytarsna Castle, Cashel, Co Tipperary |  |
| Gosford Castle |   |
| Cregg
Castle built in the mid to late 16th Century and is located two and a half miles on the
Mallow road out of Fermoy Town. Fermoy is set on the well known Salmon river of the
Blackwater which flows through the town. Dublin is approximately 2.5 hours drive and Cork
is 45 minutes.
The property has an entrance from the main road and this driveway also serves a renovated stone house but the driveway to the castle is accessed off this. The property stands on 1 acre of original park land setting and is on a sheer cliff overlooking the rover Blackwater which is famous for it's trout and salmon fishing. The property measures 80 foot square on 5 stories including a basement. There are dramatic views from the castle and on to the castle from the Blacwater river and also has open countryside views. The property was last occupied in 1798, and needs re-plumbing, windows, some new floors and redecoration. There are two existing cobbled floors but the remaining three in between floors were wooden floors and need replacing. The stairways from the entrance in to the castle goes to the right hand side which is unusual as most stairs are located on the left. The property also needs a new roof at the very top which is replaced would make the property basically habitable. Another feature of this well constructed castle is its rounded corners rather like a modern lighthouse. The staircase is wider than most and in good order.£500,000 |
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| Carrigafoyle Castle, Tarbert, Co Kerry |  |
| Ballymore Castle, Co Galway
Ballymore Castle was built by John Lawrence in year 1585. on the land he acquired through his marriage to the daughter of O'Madden. It was damaged in subsequent wars and repaired by his son, Walter, in 1620. John Lawrence Jnr. was dispossessed by Cromwell in 1641. he having espoused the royalist cause in the war of that time. The castle and much of his estate was given to Sir Thomas Newcomen. He leased the castle to the Lawrences for many years. On his death it passed to Nicholas Cusack of Cushinstown, Co. Meath. who sold it to John Eyre of Eyrecourt about 1720.The Seymour family settled in the castle around 1700. The castle was modernised and a large house added in 1815. Thomas Seymour purchased the castle and lands outright from Giles Eyre around 1824 John Downey http://www.lawrencetown.com/ballymore.htm |
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| Castle Roche |  
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| Clonony, Co Offaly |  |
| Coursestown |  |
| Donamon, Co Roscommon |  |
| Castletown |  |
| Dunkerron, Kenmare, Co Kerry |  |
| Foulksrath, Co Kilkenny |  |
| Kilcoe, Co Cork | 
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| Leap, Co Offaly | 
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| Lismolin, Thurles |  |
| Rockfleet, Co Mayo |  |
| Turin, Co Mayo |  |
| Rockets Castle
Rockets Castle in Portlaw is a tower of Norman construction on the banks of the river Suir.It was built in 1212 by a family named Rockett.The original house was destroyed in the 17th and 18th century.Rockett was a pirate and raided shipping on the river Suir to keep poor families alive.He was hanged on the West Yellow Road,Waterford later called Rocketts Tree. |
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| Shrule Castle |  |
| Rosturk Castle |  |
| Drishane Castle, Millstreet
An Drishean in Irish meaning the place of the briars, the castle was built by the McCarthys between 1436 and 1450, |
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| Ross Castle, Killarney |  |
| Trim Castle |  |
| Tullira Castle |  |
| Tullynally |  |
| Wilton Castle |  |
| Castle Oliver | 
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| Glenart Castle |  |
| Lismore Castle | |
| Dunboy Castle |  |
| Coltsmans |  |
| Aherlow Castle |  |
| Castle Howell |  |
| Mallow Castle | |
| Kilbrittain Castle | |
| Smithstown Castle | |
| Darver Castle | |
| Killaghy Castle | |
| Castle ffrench | * |
| Shankill Castle | * |
| Smaremore Castle | |
| Glin Castle | |
| Lisheen Castle | |
| Castle Leslie | |
| Clougheast Castle | |
| Luttrellstown Castle | |
| Humewood Castle | |
| Carrigan Castle | |
| Bansha Castle | |
| Slane Castle | |
| Ballyportry Castle | |
| Castle Durrow | |
| Knappogue Castle | * |
| Ballyhannon Castle | |
| Cloghan Castle | |
| Kilcolgan Castle | |
| Springfield Castle | |
| Rathaldron Castle | |
| Ross Castle, Co Galway | |
| Huntington Castle, Co Carlow | |
| Markree Castle | |
| Castle Doddard | |
| Fanningstown Castle | |
| Ballyhooly Castle | |
| Portlick Castle | |
| Lough Cutra Castle | |
| Lisfinny Castle | |
| Cregg Castle | |
| Finniterstown Castle |  |
| Glanworth Castle | |
| Ballinlough Castle | |
| Glenveagh Castle | |
| Birr Castle | |
| Grange Castle | |
| Malahide Castle |  |
| Clomantagh Castle |  |
| Rahaly Castle |  |
| Johnstown Castle | |
| Ballyteigue Castle | |
| Leighlinbridge Castle | |
| Ferns Castle | |
| Moydrum Castle
William Handcock, who was a MP in the English Parliament from 1800 to 1803 inherited the land. He violently opposed the Act of Union and spoke against it in his native Athlone. After refusing a monetary bribe, he eventually succumbed to the promise of a title and voted for the Union. His reward came in 1812 when he was created Baron and took the title Lord Castlemaine. He then built a new home to suit his status, Moydrum Castle, which was designed by famous architect Sir Richard Morrison and completed in 1814 in a sham Gothic style with theatrical turrets and battlements. Lord Castlemaine died in 1839. On July 3rd 1921, a party of Irish republicans forced their way into the grounds and gave Lady Castlemaine and her 3 daughters 15 minutes to dress and leave the castle. Then the 106 year old mansion was set on fire and when morning dawned only the front façade remained. |
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was
probably built in the 13th century, originally consisted of a large open
courtyard fortified by a high curtain wall with a moat outside it. Only a small
square tower at one corner survives, as well as the entrance gate, flanked by
two large rounded towers. The tower in the north-eastern corner was abandoned in
the 14th century, and the whole castle may even have been abandoned at this
time. Note the variety of fireplaces. The castle formerly belonged to the
Kavanaghs, and was occupied by Donogh Kavanagh at the end of the 16th century.
After the Restoration it came into the possession of the Bagenal family, but was
bought by the Bruens in the early 19th century.
The interior is now bare, but the walls' many embrasures, loops, fireplaces and doors bear witness to the former presence of two-storey ranges, some with cellars, that delimited the enclosure. The fine double-fireplace on the north belonged to the great hall, while such features as the cross loops with expanded terminals and "Caernarvon arches" allow us to date the castle to the turn of the thirteenth century. The castle may not have been in use for very long; indeed, some argue it was never finished.
Located 2 miles E of Bagenalstown in a field adjacent to the Fennagh road (L33). A small bridge gives access across a deep field ditch. NGR: S 738615. National Monument. Boots recommended.
The original keep was a three-storey rectangular block with cylindrical corner towers, probably built between 1207 and 1213 by William Marshall on the site of a motte erected by Hugh de Lacy in the 1180s. It may be the earliest example of a "four-towered" keep in the British Isles and appears to have been directly inspired by French examples, notably Nemours (Seine-et-Marne) built between 1160 and 1180. The entrance lies at first-floor level in the north wall and access to all storeys which had timber floors, was by way of stone stairways in the thickness of the west wall.
Ownership of the castle passed to the Crown in 1306 and was later granted to the Earls of Norfolk, who held it until confiscation in 1537. It was captured by James FitzGerald in 1494, again by Silken Thomas in 1535, and changed hands a number of times before being purchased by Donough, Earl of Thomond in 1616. It fell to the Confederates in 1642 but was later returned to Thomond after being liberated by Ireton in 1650.
Located in the town centre. Access is through Corcoran's Mineral Water
factory.
NGR: S 718767 National Monument. Open weekdays only. The key can be obtained
from the factory's office.
| Clonmore Castle and High Crosses
Carlow, |
Typical of the late 13th century, the castle is nearly square in plan, with rectangular towers at the two southern corners, and smaller turrets at the other two corners. Remains of the main interior buildings can be seen on the eastern side of the courtyard. While the castle is not mentioned in existing records until the 14th century, the shape of the trefoil window in the south wall shows that it was built probably towards the end of the 13th century. Clonmore was captured by the Earl of Kildare in 1516 and by the Earl of Ormond in 1598. It changed hands several times in the Confederate War, and was finally taken by Cromwell's forces under Colonel Hewson in 1650. In the village graveyard, 300 yards to the east, there is one plain High Cross in the churchyard on the north side of the road, and considerable fragments of another, along with many slabs bearing a cross in relief, in the graveyard on the south side of the road. The road, in fact, cuts through the site of an old monastery founded by St. Mogue probably in the 6th century. |
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Beal
Boru
The fort can be found by
taking a trek down a half-mile grassy pathway from the Killaloe-Scarrif Road,
through a mostly wooded area, and the place feels detached from the modern world
when the trees are in full leaf. The site is impressive in the height of the
outer side of the banks, and is fairly expansive in size. Apart from a small
amount of litter, the site is in good condition.
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Ballinalackan: 16th C Tower House Ruined tower in field by hotel |
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 none theless 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. Donal's grandson was the celebrated third Viscount Clare who resided at Carrigaholt and raised a regiment of horse known as the "Yellow Dragoons" for James II's armies. 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.
Access through field.
CRATLOEMOYLE
CASTLE: This tower house is sometimes referred to simply as Cratloe castle. It
stands about fifty yards north of the main Ennis to Limerick road and about five
miles west of Limerick city. The tower is five storeys high with three large
halls over each other and rises to a height of about sixty five feet. It was
probably built early in the sixteenth century, though some claim a date of 1610
for its construction. It was thought to have been built by Sean, son of
Donnchadh MacNamara who lived in the early seventeenth century, but this is
unlikely as the castle is mentioned in many documents before his time. It is
possible that some of the later building in the castle was carried out by him.
In 1570 the castle was owned by Seán, son of Tadhg MacConmara and later passed
to the chiefs of MacConmara. A John MacNamara was the last of the main stem of
the MacNamaras. He died without issue about 1780. He was probably the last
occupant of Cratloe Moyle castle. The Cratloe Moyle estate was then purchased by
George Quin of Quinsborough near Limerick and so the patrimonial lands passed
totally out of MacNamara hands after nearly 700 years continuous possession.
Cratloe Moyle castle was purchased in 1973 by Bob Traynor, an Irish American. He
later sold the surrounding land to Bearing Components Ltd. but retained
ownership of the castle.
Newtown Castle
Like a
rocket on its launch-pad, this unusual sixteenth century tower house takes the
form of a cylinder impaled upon a pyramid. The whole base of the wall between
the four boldly projecting spurs is commanded by shotholes ingeniously placed in
the apex of pointed notches at the fusion of the cylinder and pyramid.
One of these notches, or ghost-gables, lies over the door which is also commanded by one of four machicolations projecting from the parapet. Internally, the tower has five storeys with dome vaults over the ground and third storeys, both of which have well-preserved impressions of wickerwork matting. The hall on the fourth storey has mullioned windows with the spiral stair projecting into the room. The top floor, originally a bed chamber, has now been incorrectly restored as a gallery, presumably so that visitors can admire the new conical oak roof.
The castle was originally built by a sept of the O'Briens and later passed into the hands of the O'Loughlins (O'Lochlainns) - self-styled "Princes of the Burren". It was still inhabited by the family at the end of the nineteenth century, but later fell into ruin. In 1993-4 the castle was restored as an exhibition centre for the adjacent Burren Art College.
Located 1.5 miles SW of Ballyvaghan to W of the Lisdoonvarna road (T69). Access up a quarter-mile tarred lane. Signposted. NGR: M 217064. Open all year: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. Admission fee charged
| Moyode Castle, a stunning example of a sixteenth-century fortified tower
house located 3.5 miles from the Galway market town of Athenry, has
recently come to market. Sitting in rural splendor at the far edge of a 35
acre grazing pasture, the top of the tower has unsurpassed views of
largely unspoiled countryside. Purchased as a ruin by the American historian James Charles Roy in 1969, the tower has been largely restored: the walls repointed, the gables rebuilt and roofed with historic blue bangors, many of the floors paved in liscannor stone, window lintels installed and glassed. Additionally, Moyode has running water and toilet facilities, propane gas for kitchen utilities, a new bawn wall, magnificent mahogany great gate, and the standard medieval necessity a huge open fireplace. Ceiling heights in the Great Hall are 22 feet! Helen Cassidy Auctioneer. MIAVI |
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QUIN CASTLE was built in 1280 by Richard de Clare in an attempt to subdue the MacNamaras. This was a massive Norman castle with large rounded towers at each corner. This strong-walled keep was reduced to a hideous blackened ruin six years later when Cuvea MacNamara avenged the death of an O'Liddy chieftain who had been killed by the Norman garrison. He attacked, ransacked and burned the castle, slaying most of the defenders. Parts of the castle towers still remain at the south-east, south-west and north-east corners of the abbey. Part of the vanished north-west tower, or at least its site, can still be discovered. Much of the remaining castle walls were incorporated into the abbey's south and east walls. A fragment to the north-east, close to the tower base, shows how sturdily built the thirteenth-century castle had been. From the fourteenth century onward the MacNamaras were the most powerful family in the baronies of Upper and Lower Bunratty and Upper and Lower Tulla. By 1578 they owned forty two castles scattered over the entire area of those baronies.
Ballincollig
To the south of the village on an isolated limestone rock, are the remains of Ballincollig Castle which was built by the Barrett Family during the reign of Edward III. Edward Barrett was in possession of the Castle in 1591 but was later expelled by Andrew Barrett. The castle was in possession of the insurgents in 1641 who were dispossessed by Cromwell in 1645. It was garrissioned for James II in 1689, but after his flight, fell into decay and is now a stately ruin with a very strong and lofty square tower still nearly perfect
Barryscourt
Situated
on an outcrop of rock ('The Fairy Rock'), this is a 16th century tower of 4
storeys below a vaulted roof. There are turrets on opposing corners at the top.
It was built by the MacCarthys of Drishane, and Teig MacCarthy retired here
after the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, but O'Sullivan Bere attacked and sacked the
castle shortly afterwards.
There is also a stone circle two fields to the eat of the castle.
Coppinger's
Courtthe ruins of a 4-storey 16th Century house consisting of a central block flanked by two fortified square blocks on the east side and with another in the centre of the west side. There are some mullioned windows on the top floor on the western side, while there are well-preserved turrets on the southern side and at the north-western corner just below the parapets. The chimney stacks are well preserved. The house was built by Sir Walter Coppinger who surrendered his estates to James 1 in 1616 and had them regranted to him the following day.
Dunboy
Originally
the castle began its life as a tower house of four stories height owned by the
O'Sullivan Bere family. Donal Cam, head of the O'Sullivan Beres
at the time of the battle of Kinsale in 1601, supported the Spanish and with the
defeat of the Irish at Kinsale Donal Cam returned to Dunboy to reinforce its
defences against an English attack. Upon arriving at Dunboy he was forced to
oust the Spanish soldiers from the castle but retained 3 Spanish gunners to man
the cannons and to advise him on fortifying the castle. As a result the tower
house was reduced in height and an outer wall of stone and earth was built
against cannon fire.
Glanworth Castle
Inchiquin Castle Co. Clare
Murrogh O'Brien, the fourth baron, was in possession in 1580. Situated on the northern side of the lake, it was the residence of the O'Brien family whose descendant, the Marquess of Thomond, derived his title of Earl of Inchiquin from this estate.
During O'Donnell's raid on Clare it was attacked and captured by Maguire of Fermanagh, one of his lieutenants. Some time after this a more comfortable house, sometimes referred to locally as the banquet hall, was added to the old castle.
Part of the old castle tower can still be seen and a good portion of the banquet hall is still intact. Christopher O'Brien, Murrogh the Burner's brother, lived here during the Confederate Wars. Murrogh's son, Colonel John O'Brien, abandoned Inchiquin towards the end of the seventeenth century. By then it was in a ruinous condition
LOHORT
CASTLE, Castlemanger
In 1184 Prince John, who would become King of England in 1199, came to Ireland.
The purpose of his trip was to grant land to friends of his father Henry I and
to organise the building of castles on the dividing line between Norman and
Gaelic territory in Cork and Limerick. Lohort was one of the castles built at
this time. There were others at Kilbrittan, Carrigtwohill, Grenagh, Lisgriffin,
Killbolane and Limerick.
Liscarrol
Castle
Liscarroll Castle was built in the 13th century, and is a fine example of a castle with a strong fortified wall running outside of the main keep. A square castle with huge round turrets at each corner, its large front entrace likely was guarded by a high portcullis. The castle was captured by the Irish in 1642, but was then re-taken by Cromwell's forces later in the War.
Lea Castle
The remnants of a once great Norman castle built either by the Marshalls or
the Fitzgeralds. A castle is mentioned in 1203 as already existing, but this
probably refers to an earlier castle here. O'More burned the castle in 1346, and
in 1422 O'Dempsey captured it from the Earl of Kildare. The O'Dempseys retained
the castle until it was taken from them in 1452 by the Earl of Ormond. Silken
Thomas Fitzgerald retreated here during his rebellion in 1535. In 1556 it was
mortgaged for £500 and 600 ounces of silver plate by the Earl of Kildare to Sir
Maurice Fitzgerald of Lackagh, and was leased to Robert Bath in 1618. It changed
hands a number of times in the 1640s, and the Confederates used it as a mint
before the Cromwellians took it in 1650. Although it passed through various
private hands after that, it was never afterwards used as a fortification. The
castle itself is square in plan with three quarters round towers at the corners;
it stands within an oval-shaped area, which is still partly surrounded by a wall
with wall-walks. The tower consisted of a basement and three storeys, and the
entrance was in the first floor. A window in the north side of the tower is
still preserved and through its shape the castle can be dated to about 1250. To
the east of the castle itself is an open area surrounded by a wall with a
gate-building in the south wall with two rounded towers which may date to about
1297. This gate-building was later made residential by blocking the gateway and
by the addition of another building. A town which surrounded the castle was
destroyed in the 14th century.
Ballyadams Castle, Laois
The
following diary entry was made by Austin Cooper in 1782:
"At Ballyadams is a large Castle, the front consists of two large round
towers, between which is an entrance and over it a wall is carried in a line
with the exterior limits of these towers, so as to form a machicolation over the
door. Adjoining these towers on each side are two large modern wings, one of
which is kept in repair as a lodge by Mr Butler, the present proprietor, the
other never was finished. The inside of the castle exhibits a scene sufficient
to excite compassion from every lover of ancient grandeur - the boarded floors
all torn up, the plastered wall and ceilings threatening the observer with
destruction and to complete this grand scene of desolation, the great state room
still remains hung with elegant tapestrys now left to rot away."
This is not a listing of houses that are for sale, though some details have come from Estate Agents Sites, but
An Approach to An Architectural Archive
of
Some Irish Country Houses
Other Sites of Interest:-
