has an O'Brien 15th century tower house built inside an earlier stone fort.
A rare example of a 17th century Irish mansion. Formerly the stronghold of
the Clanrickardes, it was one of the first buildings in Ireland with Renaissance
features. The ruins of a small Dominican priory (1425) lie in the castle grounds.
(Fiodh Duin - wood of the fort)
This well-preserved O'Shaughnessy castle, (16th century), is situated 13 km from Corofin just beyond Lough Bunny and over the
Galway border.
A small 16th century castle which stands out prominently
in the seashore. Named after the 7th century King of Connaught, Guaire whose
palace had occupied the same site, the castle was built by the O'Hynes and later
passed into the hands of the O'Shaughnessy and then the Martyn clans. It was sold
to John Gogarty a poet and writer in 1924 who subsequenty sold it to Lady Christabel Ampthill.
The castle is open to the public and hosts medieval banquets with traditional
Irish music and story telling.
(1km from Kinvara).
On the shores of Lough Cutra Lake, 4 km from Gort. The ancestral home of the
Verekers, later Viscounts Gort who gained local power in the 17th century wars
and rejuvenated the area, making Gort the main market town in South Galway.
The castle is not open to the public.
North of Gort on the N18. The home of Edward Martyn, poet, playwright and
patron of the arts. Martyn was responsible for having many of the Celtic
Revival treasures installed in St. Brenan's Cathedral, Loughrea and planned
the founding of an Irish National Theatre with Yeats and Lady Gregory.
A medieval town and heart of a rich farming community was founded by Melier
de Bermingham who built his castle by the ford on the Clareen river in 1235.
A curtain wall with towers and a moat was constructed for protection. Today
this is one of the best examples of town walling in Ireland with 5 towers and
the North wall intact. A medieval festival is held here each year.
Oranmore stands under the shadow of a Clanricarde Burke Castle which
played a prominent role in history during the Civil and Cromwellian wars.
Overlooks the estuary of the Dunkellin River and was once the home
of the St. George family who also owned Tyrone House (now in ruin).
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