Gleninagh Castle,
County Clare
Looking down from a hillside across the wide expanse of Galway Bay, this well-preserved 16th-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 third storey is vaulted and the dark basement may have been used as a prison.
The castle was built for the O'Loughlins (O'Lochlainns), who were still resident in the 1840s. It remained occupied until the 1890s. 5 km (3 miles) NW of Ballyvaughan off the coast road to Lisdoonvarna. NGR: M 193103.
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