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...

A well-preserved tower built by the de Burgos in the 16th or 17th century. It has four storeys, the second of which is vaulted. There are two staircases in the walls.

It got its name 'Jenning's Castle' because, as tradition states, several of its owners were called Eoin, anglicised John or Jenning. The last occupant who was a lady, was dispossessed by the Cromwellians....

A landmark on the eastern shore of Lough Corrib for almost seven centuries, it was originally built in the 13th century by Adam Gaynard and occupied by the Gaynard family until the 17th century when George Staunton acquired the castle and the lands.

It remained in his family until 1946, when it became a ruin. Now restored to its former glory with 13th century materials, it is a rare example of a medieval hall house....

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...

A 14th/15th century castle on the shore of Galway Bay, it was originally the seat of the Blakes.
When the Blakes left Oranmore the house attached to the castle was demolished. The castle has since been re-roofed and made habitable....

A fine mid-16th century tower-house. The first floor is vaulted and has a fireplace. The second floor had a fine room with arcades, and a very good fireplace, inserted in 1604, with a Latin inscription asking that the builder (whose initials were W.H. ) be preserved from all evil.

The stairs leading to this floor is very twisty. The tower stands at the corner of a bawn, foundations of which remain. The castle was built by the MacHubert Burkes, and rebuilt by MacRedmond Burke about 1...

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...

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....

Possibly the best-preserved tower-house in a county which has many well-preserved examples. The tower is 5 storeys high, with the third storey vaulted. Beside having a guard's room, and a 'dog's hole', the ground floor has an oven which was added later.

There are a number of good fireplaces preserved on the various floors, with ahead on that of the first floor. The fourth floor has attractive mullioned windows framed in arches. The tower if surrounded by an extremely well-preserved...

The ruins of a 13th century castle built by the de Burgos. The tower, which is three storeys high and has very thick walls, stands at the corner of a roughly square enclosure surrounded by a wall. The entrance to this enclosure is flanked by massive semicircular turrets....