Best Castle in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland - Map and Reviews

Burnchurch Castle is a striking medieval tower house situated in County Kilkenny, in the south-east of Ireland. It stands as one of the finest and best-preserved examples of a fifteenth-century tower house in the region, and its commanding silhouette rising above the surrounding farmland makes it an arresting sight for anyone travelling the quiet rural roads of this part of Kilkenny. Though it receives fewer visitors than the more famous Kilkenny Castle in the city, Burnchurch is considered by historians and heritage enthusiasts to be a gem of medieval Irish domestic architecture, largely intact and evocative of the Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman world that shaped the landscape of Leinster for centuries. The castle is closely associated with the FitzGerald family, one of the most powerful Norman dynasties in medieval Ireland. The FitzGeralds, Earls of Kildare and later Earls of Desmond, held enormous sway across Leinster and Munster, and smaller branches of the family constructed tower houses like Burnchurch to assert local authority and provide fortified residences across their territories. The tower is believed to have been built in the fifteenth century, a period during which the construction of tower houses proliferated across Ireland, particularly in Munster and Leinster. These structures served as defensible homes for the Anglo-Norman and Gaelicised Norman gentry who needed protection in an era of endemic local conflict and weak central authority. Burnchurch passed through several hands over the centuries and like many such structures was gradually abandoned as more comfortable and less militarised forms of living became fashionable in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Physically, Burnchurch Castle is a tall, rectangular tower house of several storeys, built from local limestone and rubble masonry in the characteristic style of the period. The walls are impressively thick, designed to withstand assault and to support the weight of the upper floors and the battlements above. The corners are reinforced, and the original narrow window openings remain visible in the stonework, lending the structure its austere, fortress-like quality. The top of the tower retains some of its original crenellations, giving visitors a clear sense of what the castle would have looked like at the height of its occupation. From the base, the scale of the building is genuinely impressive for what was essentially a private residence and estate headquarters rather than a royal fortification. The setting of Burnchurch Castle is quintessentially rural Irish. It stands amid open farmland, with hedgerows, grazing fields and scattered woodland all around. The land here in south Kilkenny is gently rolling and fertile, part of the well-watered agricultural heartland of the county. The surrounding townland takes its name from the castle and the old church that once stood nearby, and the sense of deep continuity with the medieval past is palpable. On a calm day, the sounds are those of the countryside — birdsong, distant cattle, the occasional vehicle on a nearby lane. The sky tends to be wide and open in this part of Ireland, and on a clear day the views from the vicinity of the tower extend across a broad swathe of Kilkenny farmland. The nearby village of Burnchurch itself is tiny, little more than a scattering of houses, and the wider area is dotted with other sites of historical interest characteristic of County Kilkenny's remarkable medieval heritage. The city of Kilkenny, with its great Norman cathedral, its castle and its wealth of medieval streetscapes, lies roughly fifteen kilometres to the north-east, making Burnchurch a natural addition to any itinerary centred on the county. Callan, a small market town with its own medieval remains, is also within easy reach to the north-west. This part of Ireland rewards slow, exploratory travel along the secondary and tertiary roads, where unexpected ruins and ancient churches appear with remarkable frequency. Visiting Burnchurch Castle is relatively straightforward for those willing to seek it out. The structure is accessible as an external viewing site, and its proximity to the road allows visitors to appreciate the tower from close quarters without requiring any special access arrangements. As with many of Ireland's rural tower houses maintained by the state or simply left standing on private farmland, it is advisable to respect any surrounding agricultural land and to follow local signage. The site is not managed with the same visitor infrastructure as the major OPW-run heritage sites, so those coming should expect a more independent, unmediated experience — which is arguably part of the charm. The best times to visit are the spring and summer months when the light is good and the surrounding landscape is green and lush, though the castle's stone bulk looks particularly dramatic against an overcast autumn sky. One of the more interesting aspects of Burnchurch Castle is precisely this quality of quiet survival — it has endured for over five centuries in a landscape that has changed enormously around it, yet it still reads clearly as a medieval building with a coherent architectural logic. Unlike many Irish ruins that have been reduced to fragmentary walls or earthworks, Burnchurch retains enough of its original fabric to allow the imagination to reconstruct the life that was lived within: the great hall, the spiral staircase, the family chambers, the watchful guards at the battlements. For anyone interested in the medieval history of Leinster, the architecture of the Anglo-Norman settlement, or simply the pleasure of discovering an ancient monument well off the tourist trail, Burnchurch Castle offers a genuinely rewarding and unhurried encounter with Ireland's deep past.

Ballybur Castle is a five storey 16th century tower house situated about 5 miles south of the city of Kilkenny. The castle is a five storey keep measuring 38 feet by 30 feet at the base and stands 65 feet tall. The windows are narrow, but the deeply angled window sills make the rooms brighter than you might expect. Compared with other similar square tower houses, Ballybur has larger rooms and wider stairs than most. Ballybur Castle has been restored and is now a luxury self-catering holiday home. Facilities Ballybur Castle can be rented for self-catering holidays throughout the year, and can be rented for long weekends or a whole week, with longer lettings also possible. Visitors have exclusive to the castle which comfortably sleeps eight people and can cater for up to twelve. Full catering and cleaning can also be provided. Ballybur Castle caters for a variety of events, and is an ideal location for special occasions, such as a wedding, honeymoon, corporate function or gala dinners. Ballybur Castle was built by Richard Comerford around 1588. It was a typical fortified house built to protect against rival factions. The Comerfords occupation of the castle came to an end in 1654 when John Comerford was forced out. He subsequently forfeited the castle and land to Brian Manseragh during the Cromwellian land distribution survey. Brian Manseragh is an ancestor of Martin Manseragh, the senator from Tipperary. Frank and Aifric Gray bought Ballybur in 1970, by which time it had fallen into disrepair with the roof missing. They received assistance for the renovations from the Kilkenny County Council, the Heritage Council and from the Barrow Suir Development. The castle is now completely refurbished.

Kilmurry Castle is a tower house ruin located in County Kilkenny, Ireland, situated in the townland of Kilmurry near the village of Mullinavat in the south of the county. Despite the postcode suggesting a Waterford Eircode district (X91 relates to County Waterford), the coordinates place this site close to the Kilkenny-Waterford border, a region densely scattered with medieval fortifications that speak to the intense territorial activity of the Norman and Gaelic Irish periods. Tower houses of this type are among the most characteristic features of the Irish rural landscape, and Kilmurry's example, though modest in its current ruined state, offers a quietly compelling window into the medieval history of this part of Leinster. The castle is believed to date from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, consistent with the great period of tower house construction across Munster and Leinster when Anglo-Norman and Gaelic lords alike erected these sturdy stone residences as symbols of local power and as practical defensible homes. The townland name Kilmurry derives from the Irish Cill Muire, meaning "Church of Mary," suggesting that this locality had ecclesiastical significance predating the castle itself, and it is likely that a small medieval parish church once stood nearby or that the castle was built in proximity to an existing religious site, a common pattern in Irish settlement history. The precise family associated with this particular tower house is not definitively established in widely available records, but the south Kilkenny region was dominated in the medieval period by branches of the Butler dynasty as well as various lesser Norman and Gaelicised families who controlled small manors throughout the Suir and Nore river valleys. Physically, what remains of Kilmurry Castle is the characteristic silhouette of a partially standing stone tower, its walls built from the local limestone and sandstone that characterise the geology of this part of Ireland. Like most Irish tower houses in a similar state of preservation, the structure has lost its roof and upper floors entirely, leaving open courses of masonry that have been colonised over centuries by ivy, mosses, and the small ferns that push through the mortar joints. The stonework, though weathered to a grey-green patina, still conveys something of the solidity and deliberate craft of its original builders. Visiting such a site in person, one is struck by the silence of the surrounding farmland, broken only by birdsong and the distant sounds of agricultural activity, giving the ruin a contemplative and slightly melancholy quality that is typical of Ireland's many unguarded medieval remains. The landscape surrounding Kilmurry Castle is gentle, pastoral south Kilkenny countryside, characterised by a patchwork of green fields divided by hedgerows and occasional stands of mature trees. The area lies within the broader hinterland between the River Nore to the north and the River Suir to the south, a fertile lowland corridor that has been farmed continuously since prehistoric times. The village of Mullinavat lies within a short distance and provides the nearest local services. The larger towns of Waterford city to the southeast and Kilkenny city to the north are both within reasonable driving distance, making this part of Ireland well connected despite its rural feel. The wider region is rich in heritage, with numerous other tower houses, motte-and-bailey earthworks, and early Christian sites scattered across the landscape. For visitors, Kilmurry Castle is the kind of unscheduled, unglamorous heritage site that rewards the curious traveller willing to seek it out independently. There is no visitor centre, no admission fee, and no formal infrastructure associated with the site. Access is typically by minor rural road, and visitors should expect to navigate using GPS coordinates or detailed mapping, as signage for small ruins of this type is often absent or minimal in rural Ireland. The surrounding land is agricultural, so visitors should be mindful of their surroundings, avoid disturbing livestock or crops, and follow the general principles of the Irish countryside code. The best times to visit are in the drier months from late spring through early autumn, when access along rural lanes is easier and the vegetation around the ruin is at its most photogenic, though the castle in a winter mist has its own austere appeal. One of the quietly fascinating aspects of places like Kilmurry Castle is precisely their anonymity within the broader heritage landscape. Ireland contains somewhere between three and four thousand tower houses, the great majority of them unguarded, unstaffed, and visited only by local walkers, amateur historians, and dedicated heritage enthusiasts. These buildings represent one of the densest concentrations of medieval domestic architecture anywhere in Europe, yet individually many receive almost no scholarly or touristic attention. Kilmurry is an example of this overlooked majority, a place where history sits in a field without interpretation, asking the visitor to bring their own curiosity and imagination to make sense of the stones.

Gowran Castle stands in the village of Gowran in County Kilkenny, a quiet corner of Ireland's Ancient East that rewards visitors who venture off the main tourist trail. The castle is one of the more intriguing fortified tower houses of the medieval Pale's fringes, its stones soaked in the ambitions and conflicts of successive Irish and Anglo-Norman dynasties. What makes Gowran particularly compelling is not merely the castle remnant itself but its intimate relationship with the collegiate church of St Mary immediately beside it, together forming a concentrated historic ensemble that speaks volumes about how ecclesiastical and secular power intertwined in medieval Leinster. The site's history stretches back to the early medieval period, but Gowran's prominence rose sharply after the Anglo-Norman conquest of the twelfth century. The Butler family, Earls of Ormond, became the dominant power in this part of Kilkenny and developed Gowran as one of their important seats. The town received a royal charter and was at various times a place of administrative significance, hosting parliaments and legal proceedings. The castle that survives today is largely a later medieval structure, though it incorporates fabric from different building campaigns that reflect centuries of use, modification, and periodic conflict. The Butlers' long rivalry with other magnate families, and their complex relationship with the English Crown, played out repeatedly in and around the towns and castles of County Kilkenny. The collegiate Church of St Mary, positioned right beside the castle and largely still standing, is in many respects the more complete and visually impressive survivor of the two. It contains remarkable medieval effigies and tomb monuments, including carved knights and ecclesiastical figures of considerable artistic quality, making the churchyard and interior a small treasury of medieval funerary sculpture. The juxtaposition of the ruined tower of the castle with the more intact church walls creates a striking silhouette against the County Kilkenny sky, particularly atmospheric in slanted morning light or on overcast days when the stonework takes on a silvery-grey depth. Physically, the landscape around Gowran is gently rolling farmland, the fields green and well-watered in the manner typical of inland Kilkenny. The River Barrow valley lies not far to the east, and the broader landscape is one of hedgerows, pasture, and occasional woodland. Gowran itself is a small and quiet village with a modest streetscape, and the castle and church complex sits at its heart with very little fanfare or commercial infrastructure around it. This understatement is part of its charm: visitors arrive to find history largely undisturbed by interpretation boards and gift shops. Gowran is accessible by road from Kilkenny city, which lies roughly thirteen kilometres to the west along the R712. The drive through the Kilkenny countryside takes around fifteen minutes and passes through pleasant agricultural scenery. There is no major public transport service running directly and frequently to Gowran, so a car or bicycle is the most practical means of arrival. Parking is informal and easy given the village's small scale. The church and its surroundings are accessible to walkers, and the graveyard is generally open, though access to interior structures may be limited and it is worth checking locally before a visit. One of the more poignant and unusual details associated with Gowran is the quality of the medieval stone carving preserved in the church, which includes effigies that escaped the worst of the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries relatively intact. These figures offer a rare and direct visual link to the aristocratic culture of medieval Kilkenny, their stylised faces and armoured limbs rendered with a craftsmanship that local masons of the period clearly excelled at. The whole site sits within a county already extraordinarily rich in medieval heritage, sitting in the company of Kilkenny Castle, Jerpoint Abbey, and Kells Priory, yet Gowran manages to retain a quieter, more personal atmosphere than those better-known monuments.

Ballyragget Castle is a medieval tower house situated in the small town of Ballyragget in County Kilkenny, in the east midlands of Ireland. The structure stands as one of the more prominent examples of late medieval fortified architecture in this part of Leinster, rising above the surrounding townscape and serving as a quiet but striking reminder of the Anglo-Norman and Gaelic lordship culture that shaped this region for centuries. While it does not attract the same volume of visitors as the great castles of Kilkenny city or Cahir, it holds genuine historical weight and offers the kind of unmediated encounter with the medieval past that smaller Irish heritage sites often provide — no entrance queue, no gift shop, just stone and sky. The castle is closely associated with the Butler dynasty, one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman families in medieval Ireland, who held vast estates across Tipperary and Kilkenny for several centuries. The Butlers — who held the earldom of Ormond — controlled much of the surrounding territory, and Ballyragget formed part of their network of strongholds and administrative centres across the region. The tower house that survives today is believed to date broadly from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, consistent with the general period of tower house construction that proliferated across Munster and Leinster as lesser lords and branches of major families sought to establish defensible residences on their landholdings. The town of Ballyragget itself takes its name from the Irish Béal Átha Ragad, meaning "the ford-mouth of Ragad," suggesting a settlement of considerable antiquity predating even the Norman arrival. Physically, the structure presents as a relatively compact but imposing tower, built in the local grey limestone that characterises so much of Kilkenny's architectural heritage. Like many Irish tower houses of this period, it would have originally comprised several floors accessed by a tight internal staircase, with thick walls offering both defence and thermal mass against the Irish climate. The upper portions have suffered the kind of degradation common to unoccupied medieval masonry — partial collapse, vegetation colonising the joints between stones, and the general softening of sharp edges that centuries of Atlantic rain and frost produce. Viewed in person, particularly in the low golden light of a late afternoon, there is a melancholy grandeur to the ruin that is entirely typical of the Irish midlands' relationship with its own past: abundant, half-forgotten, and quietly magnificent. The surrounding landscape is gentle and pastoral, characteristic of the Nore Valley in which Ballyragget sits. The River Nore flows nearby, and the wider countryside is one of green fields divided by hedgerows, with low hills rolling away in every direction. The town itself is a modest agricultural settlement, with a population of only a few hundred, and the castle sits within or adjacent to the built fabric of the town rather than being isolated in open countryside. This gives the visit a pleasantly informal character — you encounter the castle almost by accident while moving through the town, and its presence alongside ordinary domestic life creates a juxtaposition that is very much part of the texture of rural Irish heritage. In terms of practical visiting, Ballyragget is accessible by road via the R693 regional road, which connects the town to Kilkenny city approximately 20 kilometres to the south. Kilkenny city is the natural base for anyone exploring this part of County Kilkenny, offering the full range of accommodation, restaurants, and transport connections including rail links to Dublin and Waterford. The castle itself is not a managed heritage site with formal opening hours in the conventional sense — it is a ruin within the townscape, and access is therefore subject to local conditions and any land ownership considerations that may apply. Visitors should exercise appropriate care around any unmanaged medieval masonry. The best times to visit are spring and early autumn, when the light is good, the vegetation is manageable, and the roads through this quietly beautiful part of Kilkenny are at their most inviting. One of the more interesting aspects of Ballyragget as a place is how well it illustrates the dispersed nature of Butler power in medieval Kilkenny. The family were not content with a single great fortress but maintained a constellation of strongholds, manor houses, and fortified residences across their territory, each serving a slightly different administrative or military function. Ballyragget's position on the Nore, at a crossing point implied by its very name, suggests it may have served a role in controlling movement and commerce along the river as much as providing residential accommodation for a branch of the wider family. This layering of function — military, administrative, commercial — is what makes even modest tower houses like this one genuinely rewarding objects of historical contemplation, once you begin to read the landscape in which they sit.

Clara Castle is a well-preserved tower house located near the village of Kilkenny in the south of County Kilkenny, Ireland. More precisely, it stands close to the small settlement of Clara, a few kilometres to the northwest of Thomastown and roughly fifteen kilometres south of Kilkenny city. It is one of the finest and most intact examples of a late medieval Irish tower house in the country, which alone makes it an exceptional place to visit for anyone with an interest in medieval architecture, Irish history, or the atmosphere of genuine antiquity. Unlike so many of Ireland's ruined fortifications, Clara Castle has survived in remarkably complete condition, retaining much of its original fabric including its corbelling, vaulted ceilings, and internal features that have largely vanished from comparable structures elsewhere. The castle dates to the fifteenth century and was built by the Shortall family, an Anglo-Norman dynasty that held considerable power in this part of Leinster during the later medieval period. The Shortalls were typical of the settler families who constructed these tower houses as symbols of both defensive capability and social status, and Clara Castle reflects the ambitions and resources of a prosperous landed family during a period when the Irish countryside was dotted with such fortifications. The castle remained associated with the Shortall family for several generations before passing through other hands over the centuries. Its survival in such good condition is partly a matter of geography and partly of circumstance — it escaped the more systematic destruction that befell many Irish castles during the Cromwellian campaigns of the seventeenth century and the subsequent centuries of neglect. Physically, Clara Castle is a tall, slender tower of grey limestone rising starkly from the surrounding farmland. It has the characteristic form of an Irish tower house: rectangular in plan, with thick walls tapering slightly as they rise, narrow windows splayed internally to maximise light while minimising vulnerability, and a crenellated parapet at the top. The masonry is tight and competent, speaking to the skill of the craftsmen who built it. Internally, the castle retains its stone vaulting and the corbels that once supported timber floors at various levels. Standing inside, there is a particular quality of silence and solidity that is difficult to describe — the walls muffle the sounds of the outside world almost entirely, and the cool, slightly damp air carries a faint mineral scent of old stone and lime mortar. The stairway that winds through the thickness of the wall gives a visceral sense of how inhabitants once moved through such a space. The landscape around Clara Castle is quintessentially Irish midlands — gently rolling pastureland divided by hedgerows, with occasional stands of mature trees and the occasional farmstead visible in the distance. The River Nore flows through the broader valley not far away, and the surrounding countryside has the soft, green, unhurried quality that characterises this part of County Kilkenny. The village of Thomastown, a short drive to the southeast, offers a good base for visitors and has its own medieval remains, including the ruins of Jerpoint Abbey, one of the finest Cistercian monasteries in Ireland, which is very much worth combining with a visit to Clara Castle. Kilkenny city, with its magnificent medieval cathedral and Kilkenny Castle, is also within easy reach. In terms of practical visiting, Clara Castle is in State care and managed by the Office of Public Works, though it is a relatively low-key site without the visitor infrastructure of major attractions. Access is generally from the local road near the castle, and the structure can be viewed externally at any time. Visitors should be aware that the interior may have restricted access depending on current OPW arrangements, and it is worth checking with the OPW or local tourist offices before visiting if you wish to enter the tower itself. The best time to visit is during the drier months of late spring through early autumn, when the roads are more forgiving and the surrounding landscape is at its most appealing. The castle sits in a working agricultural landscape, so visitors should be respectful of any private land boundaries nearby. One of the more fascinating aspects of Clara Castle is precisely how little it has been altered or restored. Many Irish heritage sites have been subject to well-intentioned but visually disruptive conservation works, but Clara retains an authenticity that more celebrated castles have lost. To stand at its base and look upward is to see, more or less, what a fifteenth-century traveller would have seen — a statement of power and permanence in stone, rising without apology from the Irish earth. That this survival is partly the result of obscurity and neglect, rather than deliberate preservation, only adds to the poignancy of the place.

Gorteens Castle is a tower house ruin located in County Waterford, Ireland, situated in the rural townland of Gorteens in the south of the country. The coordinates 52.27037, -7.04493 place it firmly within County Waterford, not far from the town of Carrick-on-Suir and within the broader landscape of the Suir river valley region. Tower houses of this kind are among the most characteristic medieval structures of rural Ireland, built primarily between the 14th and 17th centuries by Anglo-Norman and Gaelic Irish lords alike as fortified residences that combined defence with status. Gorteens Castle represents this tradition, standing as a remnant of the layered feudal and clan-based history that shaped this part of Munster over several centuries. The tower house form was extraordinarily common in Munster and Leinster during the late medieval period, and County Waterford contains dozens of such structures in varying states of preservation. These buildings were typically erected by powerful local families who held land grants or maintained territory through force and political alliance. The area around the Suir valley in south Waterford was historically contested between Anglo-Norman magnates, including the powerful Butler and Fitzgerald dynasties, and indigenous Gaelic families. It is likely that Gorteens Castle, like many comparable structures in this region, was associated with one of the lesser branches of such dynasties or with a locally prominent family that held lands in the townland during the height of the tower house-building period. Precise documentary records for minor tower houses of this kind are often sparse, as many were built and occupied without generating the same volume of historical record as major castles and ecclesiastical sites. Physically, the ruins of Gorteens Castle present the typical silhouette of a Munster tower house: a rectangular or near-rectangular stone tower of several storeys, now substantially reduced from its original height by centuries of weathering, agricultural stone-robbing, and neglect. The masonry is likely of rough-cut limestone or local rubble stone mortared together, and the surviving walls would carry the characteristic texture of medieval Irish construction — pitted, lichen-covered, and softened at the edges by time. Visitors approaching the ruin on a still day might hear little more than birdsong and the distant movement of cattle, the surrounding landscape being largely agricultural. The quiet is profound, and the ruin sits in a field environment that has changed little in its essential pastoral character even as the castle itself has crumbled. The surrounding landscape is deeply rural County Waterford, a county often overlooked by visitors in favour of its more celebrated neighbours Cork and Kilkenny, but one that rewards careful exploration. The Suir river, one of Ireland's great waterways, flows nearby to the north, and the broader region is one of rolling green farmland interspersed with hedgerows, small country roads, and occasional stands of deciduous woodland. The town of Carrick-on-Suir to the northwest is the most significant nearby settlement, known for its remarkably well-preserved Ormond Castle — an Elizabethan manor house of considerable importance — and for its cycling heritage as the birthplace of Sean Kelly. The village of Piltown and the surrounding countryside offer further context for understanding the density of medieval and early modern settlement in this fertile river valley. Visiting Gorteens Castle requires the practical patience typical of exploring minor Irish heritage sites. There is no formal visitor infrastructure — no car park, no interpretive signage, and no ticketing — and the ruin almost certainly sits on private agricultural land. The Irish custom of respectful access is generally well-regarded in rural areas, but visitors should be mindful of livestock, crops, and fencing, and should seek permission from the landowner where possible. The site is best approached by car along the network of small regional and local roads in the area, using a GPS or mapping application to navigate to the precise coordinates. Sturdy footwear is advisable, as access across fields can be muddy, particularly in the wetter months. The best times to visit are late spring through early autumn, when the ground is firmer and the longer daylight hours allow for more comfortable exploration of the surrounding countryside. One of the quietly fascinating aspects of sites like Gorteens Castle is precisely their ordinariness within the Irish landscape. There are estimated to be over three thousand tower houses surviving in Ireland to some degree, and the sheer density of medieval fortified structures in counties like Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, and Clare speaks to a society in which personal and territorial security was a constant preoccupation. Each of these ruins, however modest, once housed a family, stored grain, sheltered animals on the ground floor, and looked out over a working estate. Gorteens Castle is not famous, not celebrated, and not on any tourist trail, but that anonymity is itself part of its value — it is an authentic fragment of the lived medieval past, embedded in a landscape that has largely forgotten it, waiting quietly in a field for those curious enough to seek it out.

Kells Castle, situated near the village of Kells in County Kilkenny, is one of Ireland's more evocative and atmospheric medieval ruins. Perched above the King's River in the scenic Nore Valley, the castle forms part of a remarkable monastic and fortified complex that together constitutes one of the most complete surviving examples of an Augustinian priory precinct in the entire country. The site is remarkable not merely for the castle itself but for the constellation of medieval structures that surround it — a fortified priory church, towers, walls, and gatehouses — that together create the impression of stepping into a medieval walled town in miniature. This concentration of surviving stonework is genuinely rare in Ireland and makes Kells a destination of considerable interest to historians, archaeologists, and heritage enthusiasts alike. The origins of the settlement at Kells go back to the twelfth century, when the Augustinian Priory of St Mary was founded here around 1193 by Geoffrey FitzRobert, a Norman lord who sought to establish a religious house in the newly conquered lands of Leinster. The priory grew substantially over the following centuries, accumulating lands and influence across Kilkenny and the surrounding region. What makes the Kells complex exceptional is that the entire priory precinct was enclosed within a substantial defensive wall, a feature rarely surviving to such an extent elsewhere in Ireland. The castle itself served a protective and administrative function alongside the religious buildings, its square towers rising to command the river crossing and the approaches to the valley. The site suffered during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in the sixteenth century but was never entirely cleared or demolished, and the ruins that remained were substantial enough to preserve the essential character of the medieval enclosure. Walking through the site today, the visitor is struck first by the sheer scale of the enclosing walls. Sections of the perimeter rise dramatically against the skyline, their rough limestone courses bonded by centuries of lichen and moss, the pale grey stone warming in afternoon light to something approaching gold. The priory church is roofless but its walls stand tall, with lancet windows still framing views of cloud and sky. The castle towers, compact and sturdy, retain enough height to give a clear sense of their original commanding presence. The whole precinct has a quality of quietness that is almost uncanny — birdsong carries clearly through the roofless chapels, and the sound of the King's River below adds a constant, soft murmur to the atmosphere. There is very little signage and relatively few visitors on any given day, which only deepens the feeling of discovering something genuinely preserved. The surrounding landscape is quintessentially south Kilkenny: rolling pastoral farmland, well-wooded river valleys, and a gentle countryside that conceals considerable historical depth. The village of Kells itself is tiny and charming, with the ruins forming an unmistakable landmark on its edge. The King's River winds through the valley below, adding to the picturesque quality of the setting. Nearby, the town of Kilkenny is approximately fifteen kilometres to the north and offers the full range of services, accommodation, and further heritage attractions including Kilkenny Castle and St Canice's Cathedral. Jerpoint Abbey, one of the finest Cistercian ruins in Ireland, lies only a few kilometres to the southeast, making a combined visit to both sites a very rewarding day of medieval exploration. Access to Kells Priory — the name by which the whole complex including the castle is commonly known — is freely available throughout the year. The site is maintained by the Office of Public Works and there is no admission charge, which is typical of many of Ireland's open-air heritage sites. There is a small parking area near the entrance, and the ground within the precinct is largely grassy and reasonably easy to walk on, though uneven in places and potentially muddy after rain. Visitors are advised to wear suitable footwear. The site is best appreciated in good light, and the long evenings of late spring and summer allow for particularly atmospheric late-afternoon visits when the low sun rakes across the stonework and brings the texture of the masonry into vivid relief. Early morning visits in autumn can also be spectacular, with mist lying in the King's River valley below the walls. One of the more fascinating aspects of Kells Priory is how thoroughly it rewards slow exploration. The circuit of the defensive walls alone takes some time to walk, and various sections offer differing perspectives on the towers and the church. The southwest tower of the precinct wall and the substantial gatehouse structures give a particularly strong impression of the defensive ambitions of the medieval builders. Local tradition holds various legends about the site, and it appears in folk memory as a place of some significance in the turbulent history of the region, having witnessed raids, sieges, and the long decline of Norman power in Kilkenny. Despite its exceptional historical importance, Kells Priory remains relatively little known outside Ireland, and even within the country it draws nothing like the visitor numbers of more famous sites — a fact that many of those who do make the journey consider one of its greatest charms.

Dysart Castle is a ruined tower house situated in County Kilkenny, Ireland, standing close to the western bank of the River Nore near the small village of Inistioge. The structure is a striking example of medieval Irish defensive architecture, a tall, largely roofless stone keep that rises with considerable presence from the surrounding farmland and woodland. What makes it particularly notable is its combination of genuine medieval antiquity, its picturesque riverside setting, and its deep connection to one of the most significant Irish historical narratives of the seventeenth century — the Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. For visitors with an interest in Irish history, landscape, or simply atmospheric ruins, it represents one of those quietly remarkable places that rewards curiosity without the crowds of more famous sites. The castle dates broadly to the late medieval period, likely constructed in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, in the tradition of the Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman tower houses that were built throughout Leinster and Munster during this era. The lands around this part of the Nore valley were dominated for centuries by powerful Anglo-Norman families, and the castle served as a fortified residence typical of that feudal landscape. The most historically significant event associated with Dysart Castle is the Battle of Dysart, fought in 1648 during the brutal campaign waged by the Confederate Catholics of Ireland and the complex web of alliances that defined the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. This engagement involved forces operating in the Kilkenny region at a time when the town of Kilkenny itself served as the seat of the Confederate Catholic government. The wider area saw considerable military activity in the years leading up to Cromwell's devastating Irish campaign of 1649 to 1653, and Dysart Castle, like so many similar structures in the region, bears the silent weight of that violent period. Physically, the castle presents itself as a tall, rectangular tower house in varying states of decay, its limestone and sandstone walls heavily weathered but still commanding. The masonry shows the characteristic thick walls of defensive construction, and traces of window openings, loop holes, and architectural details can still be discerned in the stonework. The interior is open to the sky, and vegetation has taken firm hold throughout the structure, with ivy, elder, and grasses colonising the walls and floors in the way that nature reclaims abandoned human places over centuries. Standing beside it, the atmosphere is one of quiet solitude — there is no interpretive signage or managed visitor infrastructure, meaning the experience is entirely unmediated. The sounds of the countryside dominate: birdsong, wind moving through trees, and occasionally the distant sound of the River Nore. The surrounding landscape is quintessentially the gentle, fertile river valley character of south Kilkenny, a patchwork of green fields, mixed woodland, and the broad, unhurried sweep of the Nore as it moves southward toward New Ross and ultimately the sea. The area around Inistioge, a few kilometres distant, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Ireland, with its tree-lined square, its graceful multi-arched bridge, and the wooded demesne of Woodstock House providing an extraordinarily attractive setting. The whole stretch of the Nore valley in this part of Kilkenny is designated as part of the Nore Valley landscape and is associated with the South Leinster Way long-distance walking route, making it popular with walkers who appreciate combining natural beauty with historical atmosphere. For visitors, reaching Dysart Castle requires some local knowledge, as it sits in a rural setting without prominent road signage. The nearest significant town is Thomastown to the north, roughly six or seven kilometres away, itself a heritage town with its own medieval remains including the ruins of Grennan Castle and the collegiate church of St Mary. Kilkenny city lies approximately twenty kilometres to the north and serves as the most practical base for exploring this part of the county, offering a full range of accommodation, restaurants, and visitor facilities. The approach to Dysart Castle is via minor rural roads, and a car is effectively essential unless one is walking or cycling a route along the river valley. The castle is not a managed heritage site and there is no admission charge, car park, or visitor centre. Access is in the informal Irish tradition of approaching historical ruins on private or public land, and visitors should be mindful of any surrounding farmland and livestock. One of the more fascinating aspects of Dysart Castle is precisely its unmanaged, uninterpreted quality. It exists in the landscape much as it has for centuries — slowly crumbling, slowly being absorbed back into the earth, but still recognisably a place of human ambition and endeavour. The name Dysart itself is derived from the Irish word "díseart," meaning a hermitage or place of religious retreat, a word ultimately of Latin origin related to the concept of the desert as a place of spiritual withdrawal. This suggests that the immediate area had a pre-medieval religious or monastic association before the castle was ever built, a reminder that the layering of human activity on Irish landscapes often runs far deeper than the most visible surviving structures might suggest. The best times to visit are spring and early summer, when the vegetation is lush without being entirely overgrown, or autumn, when the deciduous trees of the Nore valley turn and the light has that particular low golden quality that makes old stone glow.

Kilkenny Castle is a magnificent medieval fortress standing at the heart of Kilkenny city, one of Ireland's most celebrated historic urban centres. Perched dramatically above the River Nore on a strategic rise in the southeast of the city, the castle is widely regarded as one of the finest and most significant Norman castles in Ireland. It serves as the centrepiece of a city that has preserved its medieval character to a remarkable degree, and the castle itself functions today as a major heritage attraction managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Its sheer scale, the grandeur of its restored state apartments, and its sweeping parklands make it an essential destination for anyone with an interest in Irish history, architecture, or simply in experiencing one of the island's most evocative historic settings. The story of Kilkenny Castle begins in earnest with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the late twelfth century. Richard de Clare, the powerful Anglo-Norman lord better known as Strongbow, is believed to have erected a wooden motte-and-bailey fortification on the site around 1172, recognising its commanding position above a natural crossing of the Nore. His son-in-law William Marshal, one of the most celebrated knights of medieval Europe and Regent of England, began constructing a stone castle on the site in the early thirteenth century, probably around 1207 to 1213. The four cylindrical towers that remain a defining feature of the castle's silhouette date largely from this Hiberno-Norman phase of construction. The castle passed through several hands before coming into the possession of the Butler family, who acquired it in 1391 and would remain its principal occupants for roughly five and a half centuries — one of the longest associations between a single aristocratic family and a major Irish castle. The Butlers, who held the earldom and later the dukedom of Ormonde, transformed Kilkenny into a centre of political power, culture and patronage during the late medieval and early modern periods. The Confederate Ireland assembly, a remarkable experiment in Catholic self-governance during the 1640s, used Kilkenny as its seat, and the castle served as a focal point of Irish political life during that turbulent decade. The castle fell into a period of decline following the late nineteenth century, when the Butler family's fortunes waned and the enormous cost of maintaining such a structure became unsustainable. In 1967, Arthur Butler, the sixth Marquess of Ormonde, sold the castle to the Kilkenny Castle Restoration Committee for the deeply symbolic sum of fifty pounds — a gesture of generosity toward the people of Kilkenny that is still spoken of with warmth in the city. The Irish state subsequently took on stewardship of the castle, undertaking extensive restoration work that has continued over several decades. The Picture Gallery, the Long Gallery, the Drawing Room and the Library have all been carefully restored and refurnished to reflect different periods of the castle's long history, giving visitors a vivid sense of the life lived within these walls across the centuries. In person, Kilkenny Castle is a place of genuine atmosphere and considerable beauty. Approaching from the town via the broad sweep of the Parade — Kilkenny's main thoroughfare — the castle presents an imposing and handsome face: three of its four original towers still stand, their pale limestone walls rising above manicured gardens, and the castellated roofline creates a skyline that feels authentically medieval even if much of what is visible today reflects Victorian-era restoration. Inside, the scale of the rooms shifts between the intimate warmth of furnished chambers and the breathtaking span of the Long Gallery, whose hammer-beam roof and Pre-Raphaelite-influenced ceiling paintings create one of the most extraordinary interior spaces in Ireland. The castle smells as old buildings do — of cool stone, timber and age — and on quiet mornings before the main visitor rush, the sound of jackdaws calling from the towers and the distant murmur of the Nore below can make the setting feel genuinely otherworldly. The parklands to the rear extend generously across the hillside and are free to enter, making them a favourite retreat for locals as well as visitors. The surrounding landscape rewards exploration in every direction. Kilkenny city itself is a compact and largely walkable medieval settlement, with St Canice's Cathedral — another spectacular medieval monument — standing at the opposite end of the historic core, accessible via a network of medieval lanes and passages. The Black Abbey, the Rothe House, the medieval Mile interpretive trail and a thriving food and craft culture in the city's narrow streets all merit time. The Kilkenny Design Centre, housed in the castle's own former stables courtyard, is one of Ireland's leading outlets for contemporary Irish craft and design. The River Nore winds through and around the city, offering pleasant walking routes, and the surrounding County Kilkenny countryside — gently rolling, rich farmland punctuated by Norman towers and ruined monasteries — is worth exploring by car or bicycle. Jerpoint Abbey, one of Ireland's finest Cistercian ruins, lies about fifteen kilometres to the south. Practically speaking, Kilkenny Castle is very well served for visitors. The city of Kilkenny sits roughly equidistant between Dublin and Waterford, with direct bus and rail services from both. From Dublin, the journey by train from Heuston Station to Kilkenny MacDonagh Station takes approximately one hour and twenty minutes, and the castle is a comfortable fifteen-minute walk from the station through the city centre. By road, Kilkenny is accessible via the M9 motorway from Dublin. The castle grounds and parklands are free to enter year-round, while the interior of the castle itself charges a modest admission fee. Guided tours are available and add considerable depth to the experience. The castle is open daily throughout the year, though hours vary seasonally and it is worth checking the OPW website before visiting. The grounds are largely accessible to wheelchair users, though some interior areas involve stairs. The city is busiest during the summer months and during the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August, when accommodation should be booked well in advance. One of the more quietly remarkable aspects of Kilkenny Castle is the continuity it represents: a site that has been central to Irish life — militarily, politically, culturally — for over eight hundred years and that passed from Anglo-Norman stronghold to Butler dynastic seat to OPW heritage site without ever really losing its relevance to the community around it. The sale for fifty pounds remains a charming footnote, but it reflects something genuine about the relationship between the castle and the people of Kilkenny, who treat it not merely as a tourist attraction but as a living part of their city. The castle's rose garden, tucked against the old walls and in full bloom in early summer, is a spot that many visitors miss entirely, offering a moment of unexpected quiet and colour within a place more commonly associated with stone and power.

Clomantagh Castle is situated near Freshford, 8 miles north of Kilkenny in the centre of Ireland. Clomantagh Castle is a 15th century tower house with a 19th century farmhouse and medieval dovecote; it is surrounded by defensive walls and within the grounds of a working farm. The castle and house are linked on the ground and first floors, and what is thought to be the part of the wall belonging to the medieval banqueting hall can bee seen above the roofline of the farmhouse attached to the tower. The lime washed Victorian farmhouse is now situated on the site where the banqueting hall originally stood. The only change made to the original building is the roofing material which was changed to slate from the original thatch. Facilities Clomantagh Castle is available as self catering accommodation sleeping 10 people in 5 bedrooms. The castle site is particularly interesting because it has been restored to show both the tower in the medieval times of the 1430's, and the farmhouse in the 1800's. The kitchen with is high ceilings and flagstone floor has a cooking range, farm dresser and large kitchen table typical of Irish county living of the period. The kitchen is linked to one of the bedrooms via a stone staircase and has an original cast iron four poster bed. Clomantagh Castle was home to the Earl of Ormond, Pierce Ruadh. When he died in 1539 the castle along with other properties was passed to his son Richard Butler, first Viscount Mountgarret. The castle and its estate stayed in the Butler family until it was forfeited during the war with Cromwell to Lieutenant Arthur St. George. After the war the castle changed hands twice more and a farmhouse was added by the Shortall family; the owners in the 1800's, before its last owner Willie White a local vet. The property is now owned by a non profit making charity called the Landmark Trust who preserve historic buildings.

Mountgarret Castle is situated near the roadside on a hill overlooking New Ross The castle is a ruined square tower, partly overgrown with vegetation. It was originally one of a number of Norman fortresses guarding the river Barrow. The remains are about three storeys high. One wall of the 600 year old keep collapsed in 2010. Facilities It was the home of Patrick Barrett, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and the Bishop of Ferns, who rebuilt and reconstructed the castle in the early part of the fifteenth century. Mountgarret Castle is believed to have been built around 1400 for Patrick Barrett, the Bishop of Ferns and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. It was given by Henry VIII to Sir Richard Butler, who was given the title Viscount Mountgarrett in 1550 for his work as constable of Ferns Castle. Mountgarret Castle was given to William Ivory in the Cromwellian Redistribution after the Civil Wars. In 1666, the castle was granted back to Edmund, Viscount Mountgarrett and remained with the Mountgarretts until the 12th Viscount died without heir in 1793.

Annaghs Castle is a ruined tower house located in County Wexford, in the southeast of the Republic of Ireland. Tower houses of this type were the dominant form of fortified residence built by Gaelic Irish and Anglo-Norman lords throughout the medieval period, particularly between the 13th and 17th centuries. The structure sits within the broader landscape of County Wexford, a county rich in Norman heritage and medieval fortification, and represents one of many such remnants scattered across the rural townlands of this region. While not among the most celebrated or heavily promoted castle ruins in Ireland, it carries the quiet historical weight characteristic of these lesser-known sites, offering a direct and unmediated encounter with the medieval past for those willing to seek it out. The name "Annaghs" derives most likely from the Irish word "eanaigh" or "anaich," meaning marshes or marshy ground, which is a common element in Irish placenames and typically reflects the character of the land surrounding the site. This etymology points to the likelihood that the castle was built in a location that offered natural defensive advantages through surrounding boggy or wet terrain, a common strategic consideration for tower house construction in medieval Ireland. The structure would have been erected by a local lord — either a Gaelic chieftain or an Anglo-Norman family — seeking to assert dominance over the surrounding lands, collect rents, and provide a defensible stronghold in a period of persistent local conflict and shifting territorial control. County Wexford was particularly contested territory given its early Norman colonisation following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, and the proliferation of tower houses across the county reflects centuries of that complex layering of power. Physically, what remains of Annaghs Castle today is likely a fragmentary ruin of the kind common across the Irish countryside — potentially a partial wall or surviving corner of a tower, constructed from local stone and standing perhaps a few metres in height depending on the degree of deterioration over the centuries. Tower houses of this region were typically built of roughly coursed limestone or sandstone, with walls of considerable thickness intended to resist attack. Vegetation — ivy, moss, and opportunistic scrub — would have colonised the exposed stonework over generations, softening the outline of the ruin and integrating it into the surrounding agricultural land. Visiting in person, one would likely experience the ambient sounds of rural Wexford: birdsong, wind moving through hedgerows, and the distant sounds of farm machinery, creating the atmospheric contrast between historical remnant and living working landscape that characterises so many Irish ruins. The surrounding landscape in this part of County Wexford is characterised by gently rolling green farmland, a patchwork of fields divided by mature hedgerows and occasional small copses of trees. The area sits broadly between the town of Enniscorthy to the northeast and the broader Shannon watershed influences to the west, though County Wexford is more properly defined by the River Slaney and its tributaries than by the Shannon. The nearest significant settlement is likely one of the small market towns or villages of central Wexford, with Enniscorthy — a town of considerable historical importance in its own right, notably associated with the 1798 Rebellion — being among the most significant regional centres within reasonable distance. The landscape retains a distinctly agricultural and unhurried character, with few tourist facilities in the immediate vicinity of minor rural sites like this one. For visitors intending to seek out Annaghs Castle, the most practical approach is by private car, as rural County Wexford has limited public transport connections to minor sites outside of the main towns. Using the coordinates directly in a GPS or mapping application such as Google Maps or OSMAnd will be the most reliable method of navigation to the townland. Access to the ruin itself may be across private farmland, and it is advisable to seek permission from the local landowner before entering fields, in keeping with the considerate approach to rural heritage sites that is both courteous and legally sound in the Republic of Ireland. There are no visitor facilities, interpretive panels, car parks, or formal infrastructure associated with a site of this minor classification. The best time to visit is during the drier months of late spring through early autumn, when the ground is firmer and vegetation is manageable, and when daylight hours allow for unhurried exploration. One of the quiet fascinations of a site like Annaghs Castle is precisely what it represents in aggregate rather than in singular distinction — it is part of the extraordinary density of medieval fortification in the Irish landscape, a country that contains thousands of tower houses and castle ruins, many of them unexcavated, poorly documented, and visited by almost no one in a given year. Each such structure was once the seat of local power, the centre of an estate, a place where rents were paid, disputes adjudicated, and families born and buried across generations. That this particular structure survives in any form at all, given the turbulence of Irish history — the Cromwellian campaigns of the 1650s, the 1798 Rebellion that tore through County Wexford with particular ferocity, centuries of agricultural change and stone robbing — is itself a minor historical miracle. For anyone with an interest in medieval Ireland, vernacular architecture, or the quieter textures of the landscape, it represents the kind of discovery that rewards curiosity and a willingness to venture off the main road.

Shankill Castle is a remarkable historic country house and gardens situated near the village of Paulstown in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It stands as one of the more intriguing and atmospheric heritage properties in the southeast of the country, drawing visitors interested in Irish history, architecture, and horticulture. The castle and its grounds have been in continuous occupation for centuries and retain a layered character that speaks to the many eras through which they have passed. What makes Shankill particularly distinctive is the combination of its medieval origins, later Georgian and Victorian embellishments, and the exceptional walled garden that has been lovingly restored in recent decades. The history of the site stretches back to the early medieval period, with the name "Shankill" deriving from the Irish "Sean Chill," meaning "old church," indicating the presence of an early ecclesiastical settlement in the vicinity long before any formal castle was constructed. The castle itself was built by the Aylward family, an Anglo-Norman dynasty that settled in Kilkenny following the twelfth-century Norman invasion of Ireland. The Aylwards were a prominent landowning family throughout the medieval period, and Shankill formed one of their principal seats. The property subsequently passed through several families over the centuries, including the Burtchaell family, and has experienced the typical vicissitudes of Irish estate history — periods of prosperity, decline, and revival. The current structure is primarily an eighteenth and nineteenth-century country house built on and incorporating remains of the earlier fortified tower house. The physical character of Shankill Castle is defined by its handsome if somewhat austere façade, typical of Irish country houses that evolved organically over generations rather than being conceived as a unified architectural statement. Stone walls of considerable age surround portions of the property, giving it a fortress-like enclosure that recalls its earlier defensive function. The walled garden is perhaps the most celebrated feature for modern visitors — an extensive enclosed garden that has been restored to productive and ornamental use, featuring herbaceous borders, trained fruit trees, vegetable beds, and climbing plants that fill the sheltered interior with colour and fragrance during the growing season. Standing inside the walled garden on a summer afternoon, with the stone walls radiating warmth absorbed from the sun and birdsong filling the air, it is easy to understand why such gardens were prized as sanctuaries. The surrounding landscape is characteristic of the gently rolling farmland of south County Kilkenny, a pastoral countryside of green fields divided by hedgerows, with the River Nore flowing not far to the west. The village of Paulstown itself is a modest rural settlement, and the broader area places visitors within comfortable reach of some of the finest heritage destinations in Ireland. Kilkenny city, with its magnificent medieval castle, cathedral, and rich cultural life, lies roughly twenty kilometres to the northwest. Jerpoint Abbey, one of the best-preserved Cistercian monasteries in Ireland, is also within easy driving distance, as is the Rock of Cashel to the west in County Tipperary. Shankill Castle has operated in recent years as a private venue offering accommodation, wedding hire, and garden visits, making it one of those Irish properties that sustains itself through a combination of heritage tourism and private events. Visitors wishing to explore the gardens should check in advance regarding opening arrangements, as access has historically been offered on specific open days, during garden festivals, and by prior appointment rather than through unrestricted daily entry. The property participates in schemes such as the Irish Garden Festival and occasional heritage open days, which provide the best opportunity for a thorough visit. The best time to visit the gardens is from late spring through early autumn, when the planting is at its most impressive and the walled garden's microclimate nurtures a range of plants that benefit from its sheltered conditions. Getting to Shankill Castle requires private transport, as public transport options in rural south Kilkenny are limited. The castle sits close to the R448 road between Kilkenny and Carlow, and the journey from Kilkenny city takes approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes by car. Visitors arriving from Dublin can reach the area in under two hours via the M9 motorway, exiting near Paulstown. The lane leading to the castle is narrow and rural in character, offering an appropriately atmospheric approach through the surrounding farmland. Parking is available within the grounds on open days. Those who combine a visit to Shankill with nearby attractions such as Kilkenny city or Jerpoint Abbey can make a highly rewarding full day of heritage exploration in this historically rich corner of Leinster.

Foulksrath Castle is located in Jenkinstown, south of Ballyragget, 8 miles from the city of Kilkenny. It is set amongst open fields and woodland. The castle is a 15th century Anglo Norman tower house set over 5 storeys in 2 acres of land. It has retained its huge stone fireplaces and spiral staircase and from the first floor it is possible to gain access via a secret passage to the roof with its views across Jenkinstown. The castle is well preserved and its boundary wall and tower still survive along with a gate lodge and pigeon loft house. The tower now has a pitched roof over the centre and the crenellated battlements are still accessible. Facilities Until the end of October 2009 Foulksrath Castle was one of the oldest Youth Hostels in Ireland. The hostel is now closed and the property up for sale by its owners. The property was able to accommodate 52 visitors. The castle was built in 1616 by the Purcell clan and the property stayed within the family for over 300 years. During the latter years the family were forced to live in outbuildings as peasants after the castle was confiscated by Cromwell's troops during the Conquest of Ireland. The castle fell into disrepair and had a demolition order served upon it in 1946 but thanks to the local community the castle was saved. It was renovated and opened as a hostel in 1948. The hostel was put up for sale in May 2009 and closed its doors for the last time on the 31 October. The castles owners An Oige are selling the property for offers in the region of €750,000.00. Legends It is believed that there are two ghosts in the castle. The first being the daughter of Dean Swift, one of the castles owners. Allegedly she fell in love and her father locked her away in the 'Cuckoo's Nest' to prevent the lovers from seeing one another before he eventually killed her. The other ghost being a woman who was killed by her lover who spreads the scent of lilacs; maybe they are one and the same person?