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Hope Castle

       Howth Castle

       Huntington Castle

       Inchiquin Castle

       Isert Kelly Castle

       Jigginstown Castle

       Johnstown Castle

       Jordan’s Castle

       Kanturk Castle

       Kilcash Castle

       Kilclief Castle

       Kilcolman Castle

       Kilkenny Castle

       Killeen Castle

       Killua Castle

       Killymoon Castle

       Kilwaughter Castle

       Kinbane Castle

       King John’s Castle

       Knappogue Castle

       Knockdrin Castle

       Kylemore Abbey

       Lambay Castle

       Leamaneh Castle

       Leap Castle

       Lismore Castle

       Lohort Castle

       Luggala Lodge

       Luttrellstown Castle

       Lynch’s Castle

       Macroom Castle

       Malahide Castle

       Mallow Castle

       Manderley Castle

       Manorhamilton Castle

       Markree Castle

       Maudlin Castle

       Maynooth Castle

       McDermott’s Castle

       Menlo Castle

       Minard Castle

       Moher Tower

       Monea Castle

       Mongavlin Castle

       Monkstown Castle

       Mountgarrett Castle

       Moygara Castle

       Moyode Castle

       Muckross House

       Narrow Water Castle

       Nenagh Castle

       Newtown Castle

       O’Brien’s Tower

       O’Malley Castle

       Oranmore Castle

       Ormond Castle

       Parkes Castle

       Portaferry Castle

       Portumna Castle

       Quintin Castle

       Redwood Castle

       Rockfleet Castle

       Roscrea Castle

       Shane’s Castle

       Slade Castle

       Slane Castle

       Smarmore Castle

       Strancally Castle

       Tandragee Castle

       Thomastown Castle

       Trim Castle

       Tully Castle

       Tullynally Castle

       Waterford Castle

       Photo credits

       About the Author

       About the Publisher

       Introduction

      There’s a special romance to Irish castles, whether it’s the ruined stronghold of an ancient Irish clan perched on a rocky clifftop, the monumental tower rising inside a town’s medieval walls, or the castellated fancy of a Victorian tycoon reflected in its own glassy lake.

      Combined with the country’s dramatic scenery of craggy coastline, rolling green countryside, ancient woodlands, and loughs, Ireland’s most famous castles are set in dreamy locations beloved by generations of tourists, film-makers, and brides. Think of the majesty of ruined Dunluce, etched against the sky on the north Antrim coast; the thrilling bulk of Blarney Castle, home to the Blarney Stone, which is said to give those who kiss it the gift of fluent talk; or the splendour of Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo, the setting for film director John Ford’s sentimental tribute to Ireland, The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne.

      It’s not known exactly how many castles dot the island of Ireland but it’s likely to be in thousands. A high number of fortifications reflect a rebellious history reaching back to the twelfth century and lasting all the way to the 1920s, when many of Ireland’s aristocratic homes were abandoned or burned during the War of Independence.

      Ruins abound: fortresses destroyed by cannon fire tell of Cromwell’s rampage through Ireland in the late 1640s; the shells of once grand castles, built in prosperous times and then abandoned.

      This book provides a guide to 140 or so Irish castles and strongholds, many of them dating back to Norman times and earlier, some of them far more recent, but all selected for their historical or architectural significance.

      Some are ancient monuments, standing strong after nearly a thousand years; others mere piles of stones in once strategic settings. Many, like grand Malahide Castle on the outskirts of Dublin and Dublin Castle in the centre of the capital, have been carefully restored and are open to the public. Others can only be viewed externally and from a distance. One or two are twentieth-century replica castles, such as Doonbeg on the County Clare coast – now owned by US President Donald Trump.

      Castles first appeared in Ireland with the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the twelfth century. Land distributed by King Henry II of England was parcelled out to royalists who built fortified towers to protect themselves from the native clans. These castles were built in strategic positions, and consisted of a large square or rectangular tower, known as a keep, surrounded by a large curtain wall. Other defensive measures were a moat, portcullis and drawbridge, and battlements.

      By the beginning of the thirteenth century, stone castles began to appear, many built on the orders of King John. Amongst the earliest of these is Dublin Castle, built in 1204. The fortifications of Carrickfergus in Antrim and Trim in County Meath (once

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