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Irish Castles
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Irish Castles - a guide to castles in Ireland
Ireland is an island of historic castles. Ancient, crumbling ruins, medieval tower houses and spruced up façades are located throughout the country. Each castle has its own turbulent past, testimony to the history of Ireland. The earliest castles were built by the Anglo-Normans to consolidate their hold on conquered territories; many were large constructions, reflecting the enormous wealth and power that some of the barons had acquired. However, with the collapse of central authority in the fourteenth century and the resurgence of Gaelic chiefs, the size of castles diminished, while their numbers increased dramatically as every landed gentleman needed a stronghouse for his own security. Consequently, one of the most ubiquitous monuments of the Irish countryside are the tower houses that the minor gentry built for themselves from 1400 until 1640. The widespread use of artillery during the 1641 Rebellion made castles redundant. There are fine examples of Renaissance castles in County Cork and County Tipperary.This guide provides information on a selection of Irish castles that are accessible and worth visiting.
Castles are listed alphabetically on an all-lreland county basis. Opening times and directions are given at the end of each entry, as well as the map references.
Go to the guide to historic Irish Castles.