 13 Irish Castles You Need to See The cities and countryside of Ireland are dotted with castles. Some are in ruins, some have been converted into hotels, and many are used as museums. We visited several, often enjoying guided tours, learning of the castles' unique histories, and discovering some of the protection mechanisms of castles. Click "Read More" to see photos of and learn about some of the many Castles of Ireland, in no particular order. Cahir Castle, Click for Digital Print 1. Cahir Castle
 Exterior of Cahir Castle, Click for Digital Print Its location on the island gave Cahir Castle a natural moat. Between the water and the high walls, enemies would have difficulty entering the castle grounds. Once inside, however, they would face more dangers, including cannons, spiked gates, and murder holes.
Oh, and watch out! You might end up with an arrow from a bow or crossbow through your heart without ever seeing the defender.
 Rock of Cashel, Click to See Digital Print Options 2. Rock Of CashelBuilt: 12th century Location: Cashel, Co. Tipperary Current Use: Museum Unfortunately, we arrived late in the day, and they were closing soon, so we passed on the tour of the inside of Rock of Cashel.  Rock of Cashel Exterior  Farney Castle in Ireland 3. Farney CastleBuilt: 15th century Location: Holycross, Co. Tipperary Current Use: Home of the Cullen family, who offer tours of certain rooms Sadly, we were not able to tour Farney Castle, as they are closed on Sundays, the day we were traveling through the area.  Mallow Castle 4. Mallow CastleBuilt: 12th century Location: Mallow, Co. Cork Current Use: Ruins, with beautiful grounds Though called a museum, very little information about the history of Mallow Castle is actually located on site. However, this was one of our favorite castles, as we were able to see it in all its ruined glory, with almost nobody else around. The grounds are well-kept and quiet. We nibbled our picnic lunch on the lawn and imagined how Mallow Castle looked back its in original grandeur.  Ruins of Mallow Castle, Click Photo for Digital Prints
 Blarney Castle, Click for Digital Prints 5. Blarney CastleBuilt: 15th century Location: Blarney, Co. Cork Current Use: Museum No first trip to Ireland is complete without the obligatory trip to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone for good luck. The wait to enter the castle and kiss the stone was long, but worth it. Informational plaques throughout the castle offer historical facts and humorous anecdotes. After kissing the stone, we made our way back down, ambled through the Poison Garden, past the Blarney House, and into the Rock Close, which is, I think, one of the most enchanting wooded areas I have ever explored, complete with witches and druids, waterfalls and fairies. So go to Blarney Castle and get your picture taken kissing the stone, but do not neglect the Rock Close!  Blarney Castle Tickets
 Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel 6. Fitzpatrick CastleBuilt: 18th century Also known as: Killiney Castle Location: Killiney, Co. Dublin Current Use: Hotel with restaurants, bar, and spa We splurged on one night in Fitzpatrick Castle. Our room offered gorgeous views of the city of Dalkey below and Dublin Bay beyond.  King John's Castle, Click Photo for Digital Prints 7. King John's CastleBuilt: 13th century Location: Limerick, Co. Limerick Current Use: Museum We opted not to tour the inside of King John's Castle, but the castle cuts an imposing figure along the River Shannon.  Dalkey Castle 8. Dalkey CastleBuilt: 15th or 16th century Also known as: Archibold's Castle Location: Dalkey, Co. Dublin Current Use: Museum We actually visited the city of Dalkey and left without realizing that Dalkey Castle offers tours, so unfortunately we missed out on that. This castle does not fit the typical impression of a castle, as it was used as more of a storage facility for grains being offloaded from the port, which serviced the city of Dublin. That said, now that we know they offer guided tours, when we return to Ireland, we will definitely treat ourselves to a tour of Dalkey Castle!  Ardgillan Castle 9. Ardgillan CastleBuilt: 18th century Location: Balbriggan, Co. Dublin Current Use: Museum Ardgillan was another of our favorite castles. We enjoyed our guided tour with a darling older gentleman, who showed us around the rooms, telling us of the history of the house and its occupants, and pointing out various interesting artifacts. One of our favorite things about this particular castle is the incredible view as we approached it from the parking area. Situated toward the bottom of a hill overlooking the Irish Sea, the castle is positively majestic.
 Hidden Door in the Library  Dublin Castle 10. Dublin CastleBuilt: 13th century Location: Dublin, Co. Dublin Current Use: Museum The full guided tour of Dublin Castle includes the Viking excavation, the State Apartments, and the Chapel Royal. We enjoyed all of it, especially the chapel.  Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle  Dunguaire Castle, Click for Digital Prints 11. Dunguaire CastleBuilt: 16th century Location: Kinvarra, Co. Galway Current Use: Museum We stopped here briefly to snap photos, but did not go inside. Dunguaire is one of the most-photographed castles in Ireland, and for good reason. It's gorgeous!  Ross Castle 12. Ross CastleBuilt: 15th century Location: Killarney, Co. Kerry Current Use: Museum Located inside Killarney National Park along the Ring of Kerry, Ross Castle sits on Killarney Lake. We did not enter the castle, but enjoyed the views of the castle from across the lake and up close.  Ross Castle, Killarney  Kilkenny Castle 13. Kilkenny CastleBuilt: 12th century Location: Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny Current Use: Museum The final castle on our tour of Ireland was Kilkenny Castle. Standing on the River Nore, the Kilkenny Castle grounds feature a garden and fountain, and a large lawn. Take a picnic!  Kilkenny Castle and Grounds We hope you have a chance to explore these Irish castles, and others. Do you have a favorite Irish castle we haven't seen? Tell us about it below! You Might Also Like:
2 Comments
Barrie Cubbon
7/23/2018 09:03:05 pm
I sure don't object to anyone's choice of Irish castles but I'd substitute a few with Parke, Glenveagh, Athenry, Malahide, Dysert O'Dea and Slane. These are not as well known but all are accessible. There are dozens more that are not. Lismore for example is fantastic.. We are castle buffs and we may have seen 100 including relics. I wouldn't waste time on Fitzpatrick, Dunguire or Dublin Castles. It has taken us 9 trips of 3 weeks or more each and we still haven't seen them all
Carolyn
7/23/2018 09:06:07 pm
Thanks for the suggestions! We'll put those on our list for the next time we're in Ireland! Leave a Reply. |
Welcome to exquisit
|
RSS Feed
