Carrigaphooca Castle

Carrigaphooca Castle is a ruined five storey rectangular tower house situated on a steep rocky outcrop overlooking the Sullane River near Macroom in Co Cork.
The building is basic, one with a single room on each of it's five levels.
There are no fireplaces or chimneys. 

The visually striking ruin (from the outside) is dated sometime between 1436 and 1451.

The castle was built by Dermot Mor McCarthy brother of Cormac Láidir who built Blarney Castle.

The MacCarthys of Carrigaphooca sided with the Crown in 1602 and their stronghold was as a result attacked by Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare.
After a long and difficult siege the huge wooden door of the castle was burned down.
O'Sullivan Beare was said to have taken back a chest of Spanish gold he had presented to the MacCarthys some months earlier for their support against the English.

The castle was latterly owned by the MacCarthys of Drishane until it was forfeited in 1690.

Restoration work was carried out on the castle in 1970 by the OPW who installed an inner staircase.

Access - The castle is on farm land and can have cattle grazing at times, so please seek permission from the farm between the main road (N22) and the castle.

Carrigaphooca Castle is claimed to be one of the most haunted castles in Ireland.


 

Ballybrit Castle

This is without doubt the most timely post I've ever done.

Starting this evening is the world famous Galway races.

Ballybrit Castle is located inside the racing circuit at Galway racecourse.

Not much is publicly known about the ruin.
What is know is that the castle is a de Burgo house.
Rectangular in shape the walls are said to be 1.5 meters in thickness.
The ruin rises to a height of 13.7 meters and is said to have a spiral like staircase inside.
Looking at the castle you are left in no doubt that this was a castle built to defend.

Access - As stated above the castle is on the grounds of Galway racecourse.
My visit was a working one over two separate days. 
 

Srah Castle

    

The striking but dangerous ruin of Srah Castle can be found a short walk from Tullamore town along the Grand Canal.

Built in 1588 by John Briscoe (an Elizabethan officer from Cumberland).

The four storey tower is 20 meters high and has the ruin of a 17th Century house attached on the NW corner.

Some of the features of this ruin are a Bartizan, gun loops and a Machicolation (which was used for dropping rocks and boiling liquids on attackers of the castle) Image 6 shows these features.

Despite being well fortified the castle was badly damaged in 1650 in the Cromwell campaigns.

The inside of the ruin has a broken spiral staircase (image 3) this may have been broken recently on safety grounds.

Access - The castle can be spotted as you walk along the canal, an easy enough fence to climb brings you into the field where the ruin is.
 

Cloughanover Castle

The history of Cloughanover Castle is pretty much a mystery.
The couple of scraps of information I have found are below.


What is known is that the castle was built as a stronghold by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family in 1450.

It is claimed that Cloughanover Castle was destroyed by Cromwellian forces in the 17th century.

Not very much remains today, but the fireplace and entrance to the castle latrines/toilets can be seen clearly in (image 3).

Access - The ruin is visable on the right coming from Galway heading towards Headford on the N84.
Take a right turn before the petrol station.  This will bring you to Cambells Tavern in Cloughanover
Cloughanover Castle is just across a couple of fields from Cambells Tavern.

Carrigadrohid Castle

This very striking ruin is built on a rocky outcrop and has the river Lee flowing by.

Carrigadrohid is said (disputed by some) to have been built in the 15th century by the MacCarthys of Muskerry.

The castle is a three story tower.
It has a second story entrance via the bridge on the eastern wall of the ruin.

The Castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces in 1650.
Bishop MacEgan (Bishop of Ross) who had been captured by Cromwell's General was promised his freedom if he could persuade the garrison of Carrigadrohid Castle to surrender.
The Bishop is said to have urged the garrison to fight till the end, and told the men "to hold out to the last for religion and Country".
The Bishop was hanged from a nearby tree with the reigns of his own horse in view of the castle.

Carrigadrohid later passed into the ownership of the Bowen family who occupied it until it was abandoned in the mid 18th Century.

Access - Parking can be found close to the castle and if the weather is nicer than on my visit there is a picnic area right beside the river bank.

Kilcash Castle

Kilcash Castle is a fortified tower dating from the 16th century.
The five stories high tower has recently undergone some long running restoration (so the ruin is now scaffolding free for the first time in a long time).
The ruins of the adjoining hall were added at a later unknown date.

The castle is mostly associated with the Butler family who were very prominent in the surrounding area.

The castle at one stage was occupied by Lord Castlehaven a noted Confederate Catholic Commander in the 1641 - 52 war.

These days the castle is most associated with the song Caoine Cill Chaise (A Lament for Kilcash) which mourns the death Margaret Butler (1744).

Kilcash had fallen into ruin by the mid 19thCentury.
The trustees of the Ormond  estate sold the castle to the State in 1997 for £500.

The castle is signposted from the N24 (and can be seen clearly from the road).
The site as of a couple of weeks ago is still closed off - you can get up close but the castle itself is locked up very securely.   

Anbally Castle

The ruin of Anbally Castle County Galway is dated to the 15th Century.
The name translates from An-bhaile meaning "great town".
The Burke family name is the most associated with Anbally from the time of being built and for a considerable time after.
The castle was at some stage in the past called Tavenagh Castle.
 
The castle has a vaulted ceiling and the remains of a spiral staircase.

Access - The castle is located a short drive from the N17, you will have to cross a couple of fields to get up close to the ruin.
Visiting the castle in the summer months is recommend as the surrounding land is prone to flooding in the winter from the nearby Turlough river.

Cloonboo Castle

Cloonboo Castle can be found in the parish of Annaghdown.
The castle is said to have been one of many built by the Skerrett family in the local area.
The town land that Cloonboo stands in is called Castle quarter (which seems pretty appropriate).

The castle (thought to be 15th Century) is four stories high and has a partial spiral staircase on the mostly ivy covered north side.
This side also has a entrance to the castle ( where signs are located warning you to stay out of the dangerous ruin).
While I stood at the doorway looking inside the castle a horse walked in by me, it would seem the castle now acts as a stable for the two horses in the field that surrounds the castle.

Access - The castle can be seen from the N84 Headford to Galway road.
Parking is not a problem. You can park quite close to the castle - at the entrance to Abbey Signs buisness.
   
    

Dunmore Castle

The impressive Dunmore Castle sits on a small hillock partially surrounded by large trees almost keeping it hidden from the main road.

The first castle on this site was built by the de Birmingham family in the 13th Century.
Dunmore was attacked and burned by the O' Connors in 1249.
The castle came under attack again in 1284 from the forces of Fichra O' Flynn.
In 1315 Dunmore was once again in conflict with Rory O'Connor.

The castle was re built in the early 14th century and a lot of what is visible today dates from this time.
An additional 2 floors were built on in the 16th Century.

What you can see today is five stories high.
A ground floor entrance (the original was on the second floor) brings you inside to the empty shell of a ruin.

Access - The castle is located a short drive from the village of Dunmore (R328), parking can be found roadside within walking distance. 










    

Ballintober Castle

Ballintober Castle is thought to date back as far as the 13th Century.
The original building of the castle is claimed to be the work of William de Burgo.
The castle fell into the hands of the O'Connors in the 14th century and remained in their possession for many centuries.

The castle was surrendered to Red Hugh O'Donnell in 1598, the walls of the castle were breached in this attack as cannons were fired upon them.

The castle became a centre for Catholic resistance in 1641, and as a result it was confiscated in 1652.

The O'Connors regained possession in 1677 and remained in residence until 1701, when it was abandoned.

The castle consists of large polygonal towers in the corners, the remains of a gate house can be seen in the East wall.
Inside the vast internal area is about 3000 square meters.

The castle was originally surrounded by a wide moat, part of which can be seen in the lead image.

Access - The castle can be pretty much seen from all roads that lead into Ballintober. 
Parking is not a problem as a small residential estate is opposite the castle. 

Parkavonear Castle

Located only a short drive from Killarney town you can find the ruin of Parkavonear Norman Castle.

The Castle is very unusual in that it is round unlike the majority of Norman castles of that time which tended to be rectangular.
Originally the castle would have had a mote around it with the doorway higher that the later one that you can see today
The castle is dated  13th Century and is one of many that came to be built following the 1169 invasion of Ireland by Anglo-Norman forces.

What remains today is pretty basic.
The wall's are 2 meters thick with the interior about 9 meters in diameter.
The castle is two storeys high with a stairway built into the wall of the ruin.
The first storey still has the remains of a fireplace.

Access - The castle is right beside the lower part of Aghadoe Church & Round Tower graveyard.
The lane way that brings you down to the castle is narrow (it runs alongside the lower part of the graveyard)
so park up at the church and walk down to the ruin.

The castle can be found in it's own neat enclosure, the setting for this unique ruin could not be better with one of Killarney's lakes acting as a backdrop.