castles historical galway

A fine castle built by the O'Flahertys around 1500. It is a six-storey tower with a good fireplace on the 3rd storey and a vault over the 4th. The roof is a good modern reconstruction. There are two corner bartizans on the 3rd floor.

The castle is unusual in having two bawns. The inner one is well preserved along the riverside and has a rounded turret with a fine corbelled roof at the south-western corner. The outer bawn also has a turret at the south-western corner, and encloses t...

O'Flahertie's Castle, Oughterard

Little is left of the castle that belonged to the O'Flahertie clan. The castle dates from the 16th century, among the best features of the ruins are the tower and the main hall with it's stonework, with carved vines.

The O'Flaherties were not popular in Galway and were considered a threat. Over the West Gate of Galway in the Middle Ages was the following inscription: "From the furies of the O'Flaherties, Good God deliver us." The Clan were...

One of a series of five fortifications, it was originally owned by the O'Kynes but eventually passed from one Sir Richard O'Donnell to Sir Benjamin Guinness, and thus became part of the great Guinness estates.

Architecturally, this castle has some interesting doorways. One enters this castle by entering the demesne via the Red Gate which is 1.5km east of Clonbur village....

About 12km out of Clifden on the Galway Road is the turn right for Toombeola. Some 5km along this road is Ballynahich Castle, now a hotel, but once the home of the great Martin family, who owned and ruled Connemara from 1700 to the period of the Great Famine (1845-47).

Here was born Richard Martin, the duellist and lover of animals, once known as - Hair-trigger Dick- by George IV because he was instrumental in founding the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The...

Only one ceiling is retained, while there are also some scant remains of the bawn. It was the residence of Sir Thomas Fitzgerald, father of the betrayed Sugan Earl, until his death in 1595.

It was the scene of fighting with the Earl of Essex in 1599. James 1 granted it to Richard Boyle, afterwards Earl of Cork. Captured in 1645 by Lord Castlehaven, it was assaulted but not taken by Cromwell in 1650. It was burned in 1653, killing three daughters of the occupant. Afterwards it passed...

Situated on the rocky hill south of the landing place, and also known as Dun Formna, this is a 15th century tower, set in a stone ring-fort, which is one of Inis Oirr's (Inisheer) striking features as you approach the island....

The Castle:

The first castle was built here by de Bermingham about 1225, but it was burned by the sons of the kings of Connacht in 1249, by Fichra O'Flynn in 1284 and by Rory O'Connor in 1315. The present castle was probably built after the last burning. It is a massive rectangular tower of four storeys situated on a motte with the remains of a fortifying wall around it.

The tower is bare inside, and the mullioned windows on the top floor suggest that it was partiall...

Ballinderry Castle is 3km to the south east on the road to Barnaderg. It is believed to have been one of the last castles built in Ireland....

Some 7km along the road to Tuam, near Castletown House, is the site of the ancestral home of the Lally's, Tollendal (of Tullynadaly) Castle.
One member of the family, the celebrated Baron Lally, Marechal de France, made strenuous attempts to drive the English from India.
He failed and was executed by Louis xv as a traitor, but afterwards his name was cleared, and is inscribed in the Arch De Triomphe in Paris....

The ruins of 13th century tower house stand at the foot of the famed Knockma. It was built by the Hacketts, a Norman family who established themselves along the east side of Lough Corrib, having driven the O' Flahertys across the lake to Connemara. The Kirwans, one of the tribes of Galway settled there in the 15th century....