Historic Places in County Carlow

Ballyloughan Castle in County Carlow is a ruined thirteenth or fourteenth-century enclosure castle with a distinctive twin-towered gatehouse, a form more typical of the early Anglo-Norman period than the later tower houses prevalent across Ireland. This architectural character suggests an early date reflecting the initial colonisation of this border zone between the Pale and the unconquered Gaelic territories of Leinster. County Carlow was contested throughout the medieval period and the castle served a local Anglo-Norman family seeking to consolidate control over their agricultural holding. The twin-towered gatehouse distinguishes Ballyloughan architecturally and makes it a site of particular interest for students of Norman-period castle design.

Ballymoon Castle is situated about 2 miles east of Bagenalstown in a field next to the Fennagh road. The castle is now in ruins and consists of a square courtyard about 80 feet on each side, with 20 foot high granite walls that are about 8 feet wide at the base. The inside of the castle is open, but the walls show where the doors and fireplaces were positioned. The large double fireplace on the north side was part of the great hall. There are no traces of the interior structure of the castle apart from the foundations, and this has led to speculation that the castle was never completed. The wall on the western side has an arched gateway. Portcullis grooves can be seen on the gateway, and there may have been a barbican in front. A number of cross shaped gun loops and arrow slits can be seen in the castle walls. Facilities The castle is accessible to the public, with access via a small wooden bridge over a ditch. Visitors can explore the castle walls at ground level. Ballymoon Castle is now a National Monument Ballymoon Castle is thought to have been built in the 13th century or early 14th century. Much of the history has been lost in the mists of time, but it is thought to have been built by the Bigod family, or by the Carew family, who acquired the land from the Bigods. In the late 1800s the castle was bought by Michael Sheill from Wexford who established a number of local businesses.

Carlow Castle is situated on top of a rocky knoll near the town centre of Carlow where the rivers Burren and Barrow meet. Carlow is 23 miles from Kilkenny in the East of Ireland The limestone castle originally consisted of a rectangular castle with circular towers at each corner, mullioned windows and castellations. What remains of the castle today are two towers, three storeys in height and part of the western wall. The Carlow Castle site was thought to be one of Ireland's earliest four towered keeps, built in the early 1200's by William Marshall. It was built on the site of an earlier motte from the 1180's by Hugh de Lacy. As with many castles in the area Carlow changed hands a number of times. In the 1300's it was the property of the Crown and the son of King Edward III, also known as the Duke of Clarence and Judiciary being resident there. He was responsible for strengthening the fortifications and moving the treasury from Dublin into Carlow, unfortunately due to the instability of the area it had to be moved back again. The castle was then granted to the Earls of Norfolk from whom it was confiscated in 1537 and finally it was purchased by Earl of Thomond, Donogh O'Brien in 1616. He managed to retain the castle for 26 years until the Confederate Wars in 1642 when it was confiscated from him. The castle was liberated by Henry Ireton who released 500 prisoners who had been held captive there and passed it back to the Earl of Thomond. In 1813 the castle was leased to Dr. Phillip Parry Price Middleton. He invested in rebuilding and remodeling the castle in an attempt to convert it into a lunatic asylum. In 1814 an unfortunate accident occurred when the eastern wall and towers collapsed during an attempt to build a series of underground tunnels using dynamite. After many years of being abandoned the castle came under the care of the Office of Public Works and in 1996 was excavated for the first time confirming the presence of the earlier wooden castle built in the 1180's.

Huntington Castle at Clonegal in County Carlow is a seventeenth-century fortified house built in 1625 by Sir Laurence Esmonde and still occupied by the same family in direct descent from its builder. The castle's interior accumulates four centuries of family possessions in the authentic manner of a genuinely lived-in home. The basement contains a temple of the Fellowship of Isis, a neo-pagan organisation founded here in 1976 that has attracted international pilgrimage. The walled gardens with their ancient yew hedges and formal beds are celebrated as some of the finest historic gardens in southeast Ireland. The castle sits at the meeting point of Counties Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford.

Leighlinbridge Castle (also known as Black Castle) is situated on the River Barrow in the village of Leighlinbridge in County Carlow. The present Leighlinbridge Castle is a ruined 50 foot high tower house, with only the left part of the tower and parts of the bawn wall still standing. There has been a castle on the site since the early days of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The original Norman castle was built around 1180 by Hugh de Lacy to defend the river crossing. A Carmelite priory was founded near the castle in 1270. The building now on the site is a 14th century tower house which was owned by the Kavanagh family. The castle was rebuilt again in 1547 by Edward Bellingham, and was known as Black Castle. During the Irish Confederate Wars, the castle was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's forces in 1650. The magnificent nine-arched bridge over the Barrow river near the castle was built in 1320 by Maurice Jakis, canon of Kildare Cathedral. It was widened in 1789.

Tinnahinch Castle is a ruined Kavanagh tower house on the River Barrow at the Carlow-Kilkenny border, controlling a strategically important river crossing on the historic route between the two counties. The Kavanaghs of Leinster were among the most formidable opponents of Anglo-Norman power in southeast Ireland, maintaining a Gaelic lordship in the mountain territory of south Leinster and conducting periodic raids into the settled Pale for several centuries. The Barrow at Tinnahinch is navigable by canal boat and kayak with towpaths forming part of the Barrow Way long-distance walking route, making this picturesque castle and bridge crossing one of the more photogenic heritage compositions on the river.