castles historical ireland

It's entered by a gate-house, with corbelled turrets of Scottish type. To the right on entering are the pillars of a unique open loggia in the Italian style, which must have become redundant when the Great Hall was built up against it early in the 17th century. This two-storeyed hall, with fine (partially reconstructed) windows to the west, is a gracious building with finely moulded stones at parapet level which once supported the long-vanished roof. Beyond are kitchens and domestic quarters,...

Moycarkey Castle was a Cantwell fortress, consisting of tower house, 7.6m high bawn walls with small towers in opposite corners....

Kinsale can easily claim its place amongst Ireland's most historic locations for this has been a centre of population, commerce, trade and fishing far beyond memory and record.

In its earliest days the estuary of the Bandon River gave it great importance as the river is tidal as far as Innishannon and water transport was dominant until the 18th Century.
The estuary also provided excellent anchorage for ancient shipping which went in peril of the vagaries of the weather.

T...

Ballindooley Castle, on the Headford road out from Galway, has been fully restored to its former glory....

The town grew up around the castle built by Richard de Burgo in the early 13th century. in 1396 it became a royal borough, and a stronghold of the English Crown. It became a wealthy trading centre ruled by the fourteen 'tribes' of Galway including the Joyces and the Lynches. The town was burned in 1473, surrendered to the Cromwellians in 1652 and suffered heavily in the Williamite wars.

St. Nicholas's Church:

In Market Street is the Church of Ireland church of St....

The town was founded by the Norse early in the 10th century, but by the end of the century of Irish under Brian Boru captured it. The O'Briens had already made it their own capital by 1100. In 1175 Raymond Le Gros took the town for a time, though he had to relinquish it shortly afterwards. But by 1200 the Normans were back again, and with few interruptions held it until the Confederate Catholics captured it in 1642. The Cromwellians took it in 1651.

In October 1691 the Williamites de...