Shane's Castle, formerly Edenduffcarrick () is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was originally called Eden-duff-carrick. Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to Shane's Castle in 1722.
Introduction
Shane's Castle
Shane's Castle | Introduction
1345 1345 1345 1345
the wolf and the lion game of thrones episode
user
Fifth episode
assistant
can you mention any characters from this episode?
user
Lord Eddard Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Catelyn Stark
assistant
can you mention any actor from this episode?
user
Finn Jones, Kate Dickie, Lino Facioli, Brendan McCormack were some of them.
assistant
where was the episode shot?
user
The Paint Hall studio, Shane's Castle, Fort St Angelo (Maltese town of Vittoriosa).
assistant
the castle that you just mentioned, is it a real castle?
user
Yes, it is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
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when was it built?
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Shane's Castle, formerly Edenduffcarrick () is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was originally called Eden-duff-carrick. Shane MacBrien O'Neill changed the name to Shane's Castle in 1722.
Shane's Castle | Introduction
According to Westropp, it was built in 1430 by "Donall, son of Shane an Gabhaltais."
Ballymarkahan Castle | Introduction
The new country house was built in a mixture of the neo-Elizabethan style and the neo-Jacobean style. Castle Shane (the country house) consisted of a four-storey tower with corner bartizans and a main three storey block. The mansion burned down in 1920 and very little of it remains. The house had three centre bays with three sided bays to each side with mullioned windows, curvilinear gables and neo-Tudor chimneys. All that remains is part of a three-storey bay window and gable end. There is also a gatelodge and a bellcote in the walled garden. Most of the former Castle Shane Demesne, which includes the remains of Castle Shane, the country house itself, is now mainly in ruins and belongs in majority to Coillte, the Irish forestry body.
Castleshane, County Monaghan | Castle Shane Estate
The Castle Shane Estate, the former country estate in the area, was originally owned by Francis Lucas, eldest son of Henry Lucas and his second wife Alyce Bradocke. Francis was born circa 1553. His descendants held Castle Shane (spelled as two separate words), the country house on the Castle Shane Estate, for many generations. The original castle on the site may have been late medieval. However, the castle was largely rebuilt for Francis Lucas, probably in the late Elizabethan style, around 1591. This was the architectural style chosen when the castle was rebuilt as a country house for the Lucas-Scudamore dynasty, beginning in 1836.
Castleshane, County Monaghan | Castle Shane Estate
Built by the Normans in the 12th Century, the original Belfast Castle probably sat within what later became the City of Belfast itself. In 1611, Sir Arthur Chichester (later created Baron Chichester) replaced the old castle with one made of stone and timber, building on the same spot as the original castle. In 1708, Sir Arthur's castle burned down. Because the castle's location was changed, the original site was turned into streets named in honour of the previous castles. Rather than rebuilding on the same site, a new castle was eventually built on Cave Hill (north of Belfast) for The 3rd Marquess of Donegall, with construction starting in 1862 and not ending until 1870.
Belfast Castle | History
The New Castle () is a ruined castle at the mouth of the Shimna River in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. The original castle is mentioned as early as 1433 and was built to guard a ford across the river. The castle was rebuilt in 1588 by Felix Magenis. It was demolished in 1830.
The New Castle, County Down | Introduction
About 1350, at the site of a rath in the Castlereagh Hills, Aodh Flann O’Neill is said to have built the castle from which the townland was named. Aodh was of the Clandeboye, a branch of the O'Neill dynasty who colonised the area from the west. Con MacShane O'Neill raided Belfast from the castle after Christmas 1602, leading to retributions from the Elizabethan settlers there. In 1615, he was reduced to selling the manor comprising the castle and grounds to Moyses Hill, ancestor of the Marquesses of Downshire, who still exercised jurisdiction there in the 1840s. The castle was ruined by the 1750s.
Castlereagh (County Down townland) | History
Antrim Castle also known as Massereene Castle was a castle in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Sixmilewater River. It was erected in stages between 1613 and 1662. It was destroyed by fire in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s. All that remain are a slightly raised grassed platform as well as a freestanding Italian stair tower which was built in 1887 and a gatehouse, which was built around 1818 with twin neo-Tudor towers, with older connecting walls. The gardens are a popular tourist attraction on the Randalstown Road, Antrim.
Antrim Castle | Introduction
The castle existed during the time of John Mór Tanister and was rebuilt by Sorley Boy MacDonnell in 1564. In 1565, the castle was occupied by Shane O'Neill. The castle was removed by Sir Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim in the 17th century. Another castle was erected in 1625 by Sir Randal McDonnell, Earl of Antrim. During the Irish Confederate Wars, the castle was seized by Scottish troops in 1642 and later occupied by Cromwellian forces. The castle was returned to Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim in 1665. However, the castle fell into ruins and was removed in 1856 by Charles Kirkpatrick, of Whitehall.
Ballycastle Castle | History
Shanbally Castle was located near Clogheen, County Tipperary and built for Cornelius O'Callaghan, the first Viscount Lismore, in around 1810. It was the largest house built in Ireland by the noted English architect John Nash. The castle was acquired by the Irish Land Commission in 1954. On 21 March 1960 the castle, after much controversy, was demolished.
Shanbally Castle | Introduction
The castle was built on a rock overlooking the River Shannon by the O'Connell's. It was the seat of the chief of Hy-Cuilean, a territory south-east of Abbeyfeale, in the barony of Upper Connello near the borders of Cork and Kerry. The castle then came into the possession of the O'Briens of Thomond. The castle was blown up by General Godert de Ginkel during the War of the Two Kings.
Castle Connell | History
Aghalard Castle () is a ruined tower castle south of Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. Built in c.1490 by the descendants of the McDonnells of Knocknacloy who had become Gallóglaigh to the Burkes of Mayo. The castle consisted of a three-storey tower with square turrets, enclosed by a bawn. The castle was captured in 1596 by Edward Brabazon, 1st Baron Ardee, Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde and James Riabhach Darcy, however it was evacuated shortly afterwards upon hearing of the approach of Hugh Roe Ó Donnell. It remained in possession of the McDonnells until bought by Sir Benjamin Guinness in the 19th century.
Aghalard Castle | Introduction
King's Castle (, Ulster Scots: "Käng's Kessel") is a castle in Ardglass, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was originally built in the 12th century and additions were made at various times over the centuries. It was rebuilt in the 19th century to the original specifications after parts of it collapsed in 1830 during repairs to the castle's foundation: restoration finished in 1988 and the castle opened as a nursing home and remains one today.
King's Castle, Ardglass | Introduction
Sean Reynolds built a 'Castle' at Gowly townland on a peninsula called Castle Island. Castle John was three stories high and surrounded by good rock land. Between Castle Sean was residence to Sean Reynolds (d. 1619), Humphrey his son (d. 1661), Sean his grandson (captured and probably executed during the Irish Rebellion of 1641) and another grandson James (d. 1729), who probably abandoned the Castle during his lifetime. Dilapidated ruins of Castle Sean () remain today, but are not preserved as national monument, tourist, or heritage site. Some of the building collapsed but was repaired by a heritage preservation society.
Lough Scur | Castle Sean
The 'castle', actually a fortified house, was built in the late 16th century. It provided a refuge in 1690 for James II and his army fleeing the Battle of the Boyne. One explanation for its name is that a ghost or "puca" inhabited the castle. In June 1867 the daughter of a local Englishman disappeared near the castle. Jane Eleanor Sherrard, daughter of Henry and Margaret Sherrard left her nearby home to pick flowers for the dinner table. When she failed to return home that evening the police were notified and a widespread search was conducted. The last confirmed sighting of Jane was by the local postman, who reported to have seen her picking flowers at the foot of the castle's northern wall.
Shankill, Dublin | Puck's Castle
The earliest phase of construction at the castle site dates to the twelfth- and thirteenth-centuries, and the castle's remains dating from this period closely resemble the earliest remains of Castle Sween.
Gilchrist MacNachtan | Introduction
Rathangan Castle was a castle in Rathangan in County Kildare, Ireland. Built by the O’ Connors, the castle was demolished in the 18th century.
Rathangan Castle | Introduction
Both castles came to the Plunkett family through the marriage in the early 15th century of Sir Christopher Plunkett (Deputy Governor of Ireland in 1432) to Lady Joan de Cusack. It is claimed that the castle is the longest occupied home and one of the oldest surviving continuously inhabited buildings in Ireland.
Randal Plunkett, 19th Baron of Dunsany | Family seat
The ringfort on the site was built in the 7th or 8th century AD. The Irish name was originally "Rath Fhionnáin" — Finan's ringfort. Local tradition once claimed that this piece of land was the last in Ireland held by the Vikings, as it was so easily defended. The stone tower house was built in the 15th or 16th century by the FitzGeralds, hereditary Knights of Kerry.
Rahinnane Castle | History
Since its construction in the 1860s, the castle's sandstone walls and towers have been restored. The castle is built in the Scottish baronial style, which was born out of rising Gothic styles in the 16th Century as part of the Scottish Renaissance. Scottish baronial style castles were typically built on asymmetrical plans and included high roofs, towers, and turrets to display the owner's status. One of the castle's most iconic features is the winding staircase at the entrance, whose greyish-brown color stands out against the burnt sienna sandstone and brick red detail. As in the 20th Century, many of the rooms have been turned into public tea rooms or are available to be reserved for private functions.
Belfast Castle | Structure
The earlier Irish castle was replaced by the present building built on lands confiscated from the Eustace family of Baltinglass because of their involvement in the Second Desmond Rebellion. The Geraldines defended the Pale from the Irish clans in the nearby Wicklow Mountains. It is believed the present castle was built around 1583 for Archbishop Adam Loftus. Originally a semi-fortified and battlemented structure it underwent extensive alterations in the 18th century. The castle consisted of a square building four stories high with a projecting tower at each corner, the walls of which were an average of thick. On the ground level are two vaulted apartments divided by a wall nearly thick which rises to the full height of the castle.
Rathfarnham Castle | Origins
The present castle was probably built in the 1620s and was surrendered to Oliver Cromwell's forces in the 1640s.
Dunasead Castle | History
The history of the castle is unclear, but it is believed that due to the castle's name there were more than one castle in the townsland. Of the other two castles, the site of one is known from a 19th-century Ordnance Survey, the third castle's site is unknown. It was probably built by Lord Deputy Gerald Fitzgerald, 8th earl of Kildare, in the 16th century. It was the site of a number of battles in the 1500s. Some speculate that the three refers to the castle having three parts.
Threecastles Castle | History
Architect Sir Charles Lanyon designed the new building in the then-popular Scottish baronial style. Construction cost well over the ₤11,000 set aside to pay for the project. Lord Donegall's son-in-law, Lord Ashley (who later became The 8th Earl of Shaftesbury), paid for the reconstruction and later inherited the castle, in October 1883. Lord Shaftesbury, his wife, Harriet Augusta, and their ancestors are honoured and remembered in the form of Belfast street names, much like how the original castles are remembered. The Shaftesbury family were not only the castle's residents and owners, but they were also generous donors to the City of Belfast and hosted events at their home.
Belfast Castle | History
Antrim Castle had been rebuilt in 1813 as a three-storey Georgian-Gothic castellated mansion, designed by Dublin architect, John Bowden. The Restoration style doorway of the original castle, featuring heraldry and a head of Charles I, was re-erected as the central feature of the entrance front. It also had tower-like projections at the corners of round angle turrets. A tall octagonal turret of ashlar was added to the front in 1887, when the castle was further enlarged. There was also a 17th-century formal garden, unique in Ulster. The gardens also featured a long canal with another canal at right angles to it, making a T shape, as well as a motte of a Norman castle.
Antrim Castle | Features
The house has the characteristics of a hall house, but its outside dimensions are that of a tower house. What remains are the ruins of a 16th-century square tower house built over a Mesolithic flint working site.
Carra Castle, Antrim | Architecture and fittings
The castle remained in ruins until 1812, when they were removed and a dwelling-house was erected on its site. Its exact location has never been accurately identified; possible sites range from the site of the Magennis castle to where the old Aghaderg School now stands to where the Church of Ireland built their rectory in 1801.
Loughbrickland | History
Castlebawn is a 16th-century Tower house, in County Clare, Ireland. It is on a small island on Lough Derg on the River Shannon, it is connected to the shore of Bealkelly by a man-made causeway. It was built by the McNamaras about 1540, severely damaged in 1827, and is now restored and opened to the public.
Castlebawn | Introduction
Coleraine Castle was a castle situated at Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The "Annals of Ulster" reports that the Earl of Atholl, Thomas fitz Roland, built the castle in 1214. It was later destroyed by Hugh de Lacy and the King of Tír Eoghain, Aodh Méith Ó Néill, as evidenced by the same source in 1223. The "Annals of Ulster" also reports that Thomas reconstructed the castle in 1228. There is evidence to suggest that Thomas may not have been in any position to carry out reconstruction efforts. In 1225, he was owed an annuity of 100 marks in compensation for his Irish losses.
Coleraine Castle | Introduction
In 1607, ninety-nine Irish chieftains and their followers, including Hugh O'Neill, set sail from Rathmullan, bound for the continent. What followed became known as the Plantation of Ulster and the town and its castle were granted to Sir Arthur Chichester, the architect of the Plantation. Chichester rebuilt the castle and this castle was undermined and captured by Felim O'Neill of Kinard in 1641. The castle was again slighted in 1690. The land was sold to Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly who built a mansion house on the site. The two ruined towers are the remains of this structure. Its location ultimately led to the British Army taking over the site in 1950 for a security installation during The Troubles, then the police, only being returned to the local council in August 2007.
Dungannon Castle | Description
In 1305 a castle was built there by Domnall O'Neill, on what is today known as Castle Hill, one of the highest points in the area, which dominated the surrounding countryside with the ability to see seven counties depending on the weather. During the 15th century a tower house was known to have been constructed upon the site. Conn Mor O'Niell was in residence during 1483, and in 1559 Shane O'Neill burnt the castle to prevent use by English forces. The O'Donnells demolished the castle in 1590. The castle was burned in 1595 and in 1602 by Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone as Crown forces under Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy closed in on the Gaelic lords towards the end of the Nine Years' War.
Dungannon Castle | Description
Dromore Castle was probably constructed in the early 16th century. In the 17th century, Teige O'Brien of the O'Brien clan repaired and expanded it. The castle and lands of Dromore had been granted to Teige's father, Connor (Third Earl of Thomond), in 1579. Dermot, son of Teige, was an important protagonist in the Confederate Wars and participated in the Siege of Ballyalla Castle (Ennis). The last O'Brien at the castle was Conor, who left in 1689. The castle fell into ruin in the 18th century.
Dromore Castle (County Clare) | History
Doe Castle was most likely built in the 15th century by the O'Donnell family, but by the 1440s it had come into the hands of the gallowglass MacSweeney family. The castle remained in the hands of the MacSweeney family for almost two hundred years until it fell into the hands of English settlers in the aftermath of the Plantation of Ulster in the early seventeenth century. It was there that Owen Roe O'Neill returned in 1642 to lead the Ulster Army of the Irish Confederate forces during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The castle changed hands repeatedly during the 17th-century struggle for control of Ireland between the English and the Irish.
Doe Castle | History
The townland of Randalstown was originally known as "An Dún Mór" ("the great fort"), anglicised as "Dunmore". This refers to a medieval motte-and-bailey castle built by the Irish on the west bank of the river Main just south of the town. A castle known as Edenduffcarrick, later Shane's Castle, was built near Randalstown in the 14th century by the O'Neills of Clannaboy. From at least the 1650s the town was known as "Iron Mills" ("Muilinn Iarainn" in Irish, anglicised "Mullynieren"). In 1667, the town was created a free borough and was officially re-named Randalstown. It was re-named to mark the marriage of Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim to Rose O'Neill of Shane's Castle.
Randalstown | History
The castle was once occupied by Irish king Shane O'Neill, and Sorley Boy McDonnell was held as a prisoner here in 1565. In 1567, two years after being defeated by O'Neill, the McDonnells entertained him in Castle Carra during two days of hunting and feasting. However, on the third day, 2 June, during a quarrel, they stabbed O'Neill to death to avenge their earlier defeat and sent his head to the English representatives of Queen Elizabeth in Dublin Castle. In 1585, Donnell Gorm MacDonnell was besieged by the English,; his father, Sorley Boy landed near the castle and drove off the besiegers.
Carra Castle, Antrim | History
In Kilnamanagh, the O'Dwyer built several castles, as part of their attempt to defend their lands. Today all of these castles are in ruin, but some of their remains can be seen in County Tipperary. Most were destroyed during the 17th century and all of them were confiscated during the times of Oliver Cromwell. These include Ballysheeda Castle, Ballagh Castle, Clonyharp Castle, Drumbane Castle, Dundrum Castle (now the location of the 18th century Dumdrum House Hotel), Graigone Castle, Killenure Castle (still largely intact) and Milltown Castle.
Clan O'Dwyer | Castles
The present castle was built by Sir Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim, in 1636, and it has remained in the family since its construction. It is currently owned by Randal, Viscount Dunluce, the son of Alexander McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim. The McDonnells have been in Glenarm for nearly 600 years and the Estate has been in the family for 400 years.
Glenarm Castle | History
An early account from around 1690 does not mention a builder of the castle by name:
Croom Castle | O'Donovan fortress
The family seat of the Lords Dunsany is at Dunsany Castle, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland. The original Dunsany and nearby Killeen Castles were built by Geoffrey de Cusack who was a tenant of Sir Hugh de Lacy, an early Cambro-Norman who arrived in Ireland with Strongbow, sometime between his arrival in Ireland in 1172 and the year 1181. Sir Hugh was given most of County Meath. The Plunketts of Dunsany and Killeen are descended from Geoffrey de Cusack and Matilda (née le Petit sister of William le Petit of Dunboyne Castle). The castle was built on an area of land believed to have been the site of an earlier "Dún" or fort, which may give its name to the locality.
Randal Plunkett, 19th Baron of Dunsany | Family seat
His descendants known as the MacDonnells of Antrim extended and rebuilt the castle in the 16th century. In 1565, the castle was burned to the ground by Shane O'Neill, chief of the O'Neills of Tyrone; it was rebuilt by Sorley Boy MacDonnell, however later fell into disrepair. In 1604 the castle was restored and was later destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
Red Bay Castle | History
In 1730 most of this castle was destroyed and the stones were used to build Cratloe Wood House, the only example of an Irish longhouse still lived in by a family. On the western slopes of Woodcock Hill, towards Sixmilebridge, the ruins of Ballintlea Castle lie in a farmyard. All of these castles are recorded as being built by the MacNamara clan, one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom of Thomond.
Cratloe | Castles
Killeen Castle (), located in Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland, is the current construction on a site occupied by a castle since around 1180. The current building is a restoration of a largely 19th century structure, burnt out in 1981. Killeen was built as one of a pair of castles either side of a major roadway north, the other being the extant Dunsany Castle. Its estate was occupied continuously by the Cusack, and then after a marriage, Plunkett, families, from 1172 to 1951.
Killeen Castle, Dunsany | Introduction
Ballyshannon Castle was a castle at Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. The castle was a stronghold of the O’Donnell's. No visual remains of the castle exist above ground.
Ballyshannon Castle | Introduction
The park was once an estate owned by the Archdale family, who arrived in 1614 during the Plantation of Ulster. The castle was built in 1615 by John Archdale (died 1621), a Plantation undertaker from Norfolk. The castle was built on a T-plan with a defensive bawn 66 ft by 64 ft and 15 ft high with flankers at each corner. He was succeeded by his son, Edward. The original castle was destroyed by Rory Maguire during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Tradition has it that all but one of Edward Archdale's children died when the castle was burnt, the youngest boy being saved by a faithful nurse who thrust him out of the window.
Castle Archdale | History
Carra Castle or Castle Carra () is a ruined castle, just north of Cushendun, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It dates to around the early 14th century. The castle lies in a field near the coast and the harbour of Cushendun, known as Murlough Bay. The site had once been used during medieval times as a children's cemetery.
Carra Castle, Antrim | Introduction
Though built on or close to the site of an earlier structure, the existing limestone ruin dates to c.1564. Built by the Galwey family, the castle is marked (as "Galwaies castle") on the "Pacata Hibernia" map of Cork which dates to the late 16th century. Owing to later land reclamation, the castle is now located some distance from the waterfront of the River Lee. However an adjacent slipway demonstrates an earlier use, and some sources ascribe the castle as William Penn's departure point on one of his voyages to the Americas ahead of the founding of Pennsylvania in the 1680s.
Dundanion Castle | History
Another local tradition, recorded by the Irish Office of the Ordnance Survey in the 1830s, states that the 'castle' may have been built for Dr William Bedell, who served as the Church of Ireland Bishop of Kilmore in the 1630s and early 1640s. The ruins of the fortified house now sit in a small field, directly behind a modern farmhouse, just off a sideroad in the townland of Corratrasna, quite near Knockninny Methodist Church.
Derrylin | Corratrasna Castle
The ruins of the 'Castle of Connell' (in fact the castle of a family named Gunning), from which the name of the village derives, was built on a rock outcrop overlooking the bend of the river. It was destroyed in a siege by the army of General Ginkel, fighting in support of the Army of William of Orange at the end of the 17th century. Even today a large chunk of the castle wall lies some fifty feet from the castle, thrown clear across the road by siege cannons. A footbridge over the Shannon - built during the 1939-1945 Emergency by the Irish Army under Captain Carley Owens - connects counties Limerick and Clare.
Castleconnell | History
This castle was constructed in 1239 by Jordan de Exeter, Sheriff of Connacht and was the ancient seat of the Mac Siúrtáin (MacJordans). The castle came under attack in 1316 by the King of Connacht, Fedlim Ó Conchobair and was almost destroyed.
Ballylahan Castle | History
A ringfort once stood on the site, named "Dún Formna" ("hillfort of the ridge/shoulder", referring to the "shoulder" of land) and dated to between the 5th century BC and 1st century AD. The castle was built by the Clann Teige, a branch of the powerful O'Brien (Uí Briain) family, in the early 15th century around 1400. It was taken by the Ó Flaithbheartaigh (O'Flahertys) around 1582. It was captured and slighted by Oliver Cromwell's army in 1652, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
O'Brien's Castle (Inisheer) | History
Ardamullivan Castle was built in the 16th century by the Uí Sheachnasaigh (O'Shaughnessy) clan, rulers of the region known as Cenél Áeda na hEchtge until being disposed by Cromwell's invasion (1650s). It is first mentioned after the 1567 death of Ruaidhrí Gilla Dubh Ó Seachnasaigh. In 1579, Diarmaid Riabach Ó Seachnasaigh and his nephew John, fought each other in a dispute over the castle, which resulted in death for both. Diarmaid Riabach had previously acquired notoriety after betraying Richard Creagh, the fugitive Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, to the authorities. The castle was restored in the 1990s, including reroofing and plastering with lime mortar.
Ardamullivan Castle | History
There are varied accounts as to when exactly the main tower/keep was constructed; ranging anywhere from the 13th century to the late 15th century, but most likely around 1250 CE. It was built by the O'Bannon clan and was originally called "Léim Uí Bhanáin" (as was the fertile land around the castle which was associated with the Bannon clan), or "Leap of the O'Bannons". The O'Bannons were the "secondary chieftains" of the territory and were subject to the ruling O'Carroll clan. There is evidence that it was constructed on the same site as another ancient stone structure perhaps ceremonial in nature, and that that area has been occupied consistently since at least the Iron Age (500 BCE) and possibly since Neolithic times.
Leap Castle | History
Cheap travelling facilities were offered from the earliest days of the railway. Special trains were run from Ballymena and intermediate stations in connection with Queen Victoria's visit to Belfast in August 1849. Later that year, day excursion tickets were available from Belfast to Randalstown for those who wished to visit Shane's Castle demesne at about two-thirds of the cost of normal tickets. Cheap tickets were also available for those travelling to Belfast; in 1857, passengers from Cookstown were being urged to experience the view from Cave Hill. By 1859, further reductions were available for parties of eight or more travelling to destinations such as Shane's Castle, Masserene Park, Toomebridge, Moyola Park, the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle.
Northern Counties Committee | Excursion traffic
Deel Castle (Irish: "Caisleán na Daoile") was built in the 16th century by the Bourkes and later renamed Castle Gore. It is located near the town of Crossmolina, County Mayo, in Ireland
Deel Castle | Introduction
Derryquin Castle was an 18th-century stone-built country house, now demolished, in the Parknasilla estate in Sneem, County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland. It stood on the Ring of Kerry route some 40 km (25 miles) south-west of Killarney. Designed by local architect James Franklin Fuller, the house comprised a three storey main block with a four storey octagonal tower rising through the centre and a two storey, partly curved wing. The building was equipped with battlements and machiolations.
Derryquin Castle | Introduction
The castle was built about 1618 by Sir Thomas Blennerhassett (died 1624), from Norfolk, whose brother built Castle Caldwell and was originally known as "Castlehassett" or "Castle Hassett". Before coming as a 'planter' to Fermanagh, Thomas Blennerhassett had a varied career including being Captain of Guernsey Castle. He was a literary man who wrote several books including "Directions for the Plantation of Ulster". He was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Leonard Blennerhassett (died 1639). The castle moved to local Maguire hands when his widow, Deborah, married Rory Maguire, leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 in Fermanagh, who died in 1648.
Crevenish Castle | History
The castle was sited on and near an earlier native fortification known as a "cathair" (stone fort), which gave its name to the place. The core structure of the castle dates to construction in the 13th century by the O'Brien family. The castle was built in two parts, with the side now by the street being built 200 years before the side now housing the audio-visual show. Granted to the powerful Butler family in late 14th century, the castle was enlarged and remodelled between the 15th and 17th centuries. It fell into ruin in the late 18th century and was partially restored in the 1840s.
Cahir Castle | Construction
Hugh De Lacy, one of the Normans who came to Ireland after Strongbow, built the original fort circa 1172, having been granted the Kingdom of Meath by Henry II. Later a stone castle was built on the site. This castle formed part of the defences of the town during the siege of Drogheda during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. The fort's English defenders attempted to surrender to Parliamentarian troops under Oliver Cromwell but were massacred when they gave themselves up on 11 September 1649. The complex was later called Richmond Barracks. Some of the present buildings, in the courtyard, were built circa 1714.
Millmount Fort | History
The castle, which was constructed between 1277 and 1311, was built from local sandstone on top of a high promontory. It was shaped like a pentagon with towers at each corner. The castle had a stepped ramp up to a main gateway, barbican, inner ward, postern and curtain walls. There was also a water-filled moat that was fed from the River Dee. The design of the castle featured towers that were built against the face of the rock outside the curtain wall, similar to the inner wards at Ruthin and at Conwy.
Holt Castle | Construction
The castle's original construction is attributed to the MacCarthy family. The castle became dilapidated in 1641 during the Irish Confederate Wars. It was repaired thereafter and became the residence of the rapparee, Captain Cape, and his bandits, who waylaid travellers, and plundered the surrounding countryside. By the late 18th century it had fallen into ruin, and a mid-19th century description of the castle describes it as consisting of "two structures differentiated by age, altitude, bulk, and architecture - the larger and older of which is oblong, and three-storied". The castle was restored in the mid-19th century, reputedly by Thomas Newenham Deane and Benjamin Woodward.
Carrigrohane Castle | History
Also to the north is the ruins of a fortified dwelling known as "Puck's Castle". The origin of the name may be related to the story of a fairy (or ) piper said to hop from rock to rock playing his pipe or it may refer to the feral goats that inhabit the hills. Francis Erlington Ball in "A History of the County Dublin" suggests that the building was erected around 1537 by Peter Talbot to defend the lands from incursions by the O'Toole clan. It is a small rectangular building, by internally, two stories high with thick walls. James II visited the castle following the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 while his army was camped at nearby Lehaunstown and left a gift of silver for his host, Peter Lawless.
Carrickgollogan | Puck's Castle
There are three tall chimneys clustering at the north end of the nave. There is believed to have originally been another storey which was knocked down as a result of a fire. A 19th century single storey wing has been added to the north of the old house. In the 16th century the building was owned by The 1st Earl of Essex, Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland.
Durhamstown Castle | Introduction
Carrickfergus was built by John de Courcy in 1177 as his headquarters, after he conquered eastern Ulster and ruled as a petty king until 1204, when he was ousted by another Norman adventurer, Hugh de Lacy. Initially de Courcy built the inner ward, a small bailey at the end of the promontory with a high polygonal curtain wall and east gate. It had several buildings, including the great hall. From its strategic position on a rocky promontory, originally almost surrounded by sea, the castle commanded Carrickfergus Bay (later known as Belfast Lough), and the land approaches into the walled town that developed beneath its shadow.
Carrickfergus Castle | Origins
Their name is still retained in the townlands of Ballyhannan north and Ballyhannan south. Although the Hannon name is remembered in the name of Ballyhannon Castle, their history is of an earlier period and no references to the family can be found in connection with the history of the castle itself. The castle was built about 1490 by Hugh, and possibly Síoda, sons of Donnchadh MacNamara. This period was described by the noted antiquarian, T. J. Westropp, as the "Golden Age of castle-building in Thomond" because of the high standard of construction which had been achieved by the masons at this period.
Ballyhannon Castle | History
Located near Mill Lane, built in 1408 by the Lawless family and inhabited by their descendants until 1763, the castle was left in ruins by a fire in 1783. During the late 18th century, a mansion of the same name was rebuilt on extensive lands at the border of Shankill with County Wicklow. It was used as an open prison for juveniles between 1969 and 2002.
Shankill, Dublin | Shanganagh Castle
The Castle no longer stands. However, it is known that it was a rectangular tower house built by the Bishop Fraser between 1497 and 1507.
Chanonry of Ross | Construction
In 1232 the castle was inherited by John's son, William de Braose, and in turn his son, also called William. In the second half of the century, Wales saw a renewal of fighting, and the castle was attacked again in 1251. The decision was taken to improve the castle's defences and, as part of this, a square, stone tower was added to the castle to provide living accommodation, with three chambers, the first floor containing a garderobe and a fireplace. A gateway was constructed through the curtain wall just to the south of the tower. Two further stone buildings were constructed within the castle walls.
Loughor Castle | 13th–14th centuries
On the southern slope of Knockninny Hill, about a mile north of Derrylin village, can be seen the ruins of Corratrasna Castle (or Corratrasna House), a relatively small fortified house that was probably built around 1611, at the start of the Plantation of Ulster. The 'castle' was probably built for a branch of the Balfour family, a Scottish settler family who were based at Castle Balfour in nearby Lisnaskea. However, there is a local tradition that claims the 'castle' was built around 1611 for Brian Maguire, a member of the "Clan Mac Uidhir" (or Maguire dynasty), Gaelic Lords of Fermanagh.
Derrylin | Corratrasna Castle
Given the prominent position, it is likely that the location was used for previous fortifications, but no traces of such are visible today. In the late 14th century, Lochlan MacCon O'Connor reportedly built a fortress at the site. The current tower house resembles Leamaneh Castle in that it was constructed over a prolonged period. The oldest part is the tall eastern tower, likely built in the 15th century. In 1564 the O'Connors lost their territory and in 1584/5 the castle was formally ceded to Sir Turlough O'Brien. Following the 1641 rebellion and subsequent Cromwellian reorganization, Turlough's son Daniel petitioned the English Commission in 1654 to save the house from demolition.
Ballinalacken Castle | History
The castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw, of Scotland, who had come to the area and rented the land from the Earl of Antrim for £24 a year. Over the main entrance door to the castle, leading to the tower, is the Middle Scots inscription "Godis Providens is my Inheritans". The castle did come under attack, from the Irish garrison at Glenarm, several times during the rebellion of 1641 but each assault was unsuccessful. The castle was owned by the Shaw family until it passed into the hands of William Shaw in 1799. He sold the estate for £15,400.
Ballygally Castle | History
Its early history is somewhat obscure. The earliest authentic reference is to a defence of the castle by Simon Jordan against the O'Neills for three years, until relieved by Lord Deputy Mountjoy in 1601. The 18th century historian, Harris, says that "it is most probable that Jordan's Castle was erected by one of the family, whose arms (a cross and three horseshoes) are fixed in a stone near the top". In 1911 the Belfast antiquarian, Francis Joseph Bigger, bought the castle and restored it, using it to display his extensive collection of antiquities and making it freely accessible to everyone to bring local people 'into touch with the Irish past, and give them some conception of the historic background of their life'.
Jordan's Castle | History
The castle is used extensively in the HBO TV series "Game of Thrones".
Shane's Castle | Film location
The castle was originally a basic, 5-storied Irish tower house which was built circa 1480-90, probably by Toirdhealbhach Donn Ó Briain of the O'Brien family, one of the last of the High Kings of Ireland and a direct descendant of Brian Boru. In 1543, Turlogh Donn's son, Murrough surrendered his title of King to Henry VIII and was created in 1st Earl of Thomond and Baron Inchiquin. In 1550, Murrough gave Leamaneh to his third son, Donough. Donough was hanged in Limerick in 1582 as a rebel.
Leamaneh Castle | Early structure
Shrule Castle () is a ruined tower castle near Shrule in County Mayo, Ireland. The castle was built in c.1238, near the Black River at the County Mayo and County Galway border by the de Burgh family. It was given to John de Burgh in 1308 by his father Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. The castle was captured in 1570 by a strong force led by Sir Edward Fitton, President of Connaught and Vice Treasurer of Ireland and consisting of McDonnells of Knocknacloy gallóglaigh. Mac Uilliam Ochtair, Lord of Thomond, the de Burghs of Mayo and McDonnells of Mayo led a force to retake the castle however the castle was not retaken.
Shrule Castle | Introduction
Rathlin Castle, also known as Bruce's Castle, was a castle on Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Rathlin Castle | Introduction
The castle, undoubtedly a tower house, was originally a MacRaghnall stronghold with references in 1491 and 1499, but by 1540 it was in the hands of Brian Ballach O'Rourke (AFM), probably to intimidate the MacRaghnall and other families of Muintir Eolais and to harass his enemy of the moment, Mac Dermot of Moylurg. The castle was destroyed in 1580 by Brian of the Ramparts O'Rourke to prevent it falling to Sir Nicholas Malby. Sir Nicholas rebuilt and garrisoned it, but the castle was immediately besieged by O'Rourke and abandoned by its garrison shortly afterwards (AFM). In January 1603, after the defeat of Kinsale, Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare arrived at Leitrim Castle with only thirty five from the thousand or so followers with whom he had started the long march from Dunboy, Co.
O'Rourke's Castle | History
Dungannon Castle was a castle at Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Dungannon Castle | Introduction
The present castle is not the first to have been built on the site. In 1215, an Anglo-Norman settler, FitzStephens, built a tower house with a bawn there, which itself replaced a much older fortification, probably a ringfort. In 1305, the castle was attacked and burned down by one of the most powerful Gaelic septs in the region, the MacCarthys. Another Gaelic sept, the O'Driscolls, much smaller but still powerful in the region, subsequently took possession of Dunasead and rebuilt it. The O'Driscolls were constantly under pressure from encroachments by Anglo-Norman settlers and rival Gaelic clans on their territory and trade interests, which resulted in the castle being attacked and destroyed numerous times in the following centuries.
Dunasead Castle | History
Later in the nineteenth-century, Belfast Castle, on the lower slopes of Cave Hill in North Belfast, was purpose-designed and built for The 3rd Marquess of Donegall as the main residence of the family. This new Belfast Castle was inherited by The 8th Earl of Shaftesbury and his wife in October 1883, thus passing out of the ownership of the Chichester family. Lord Shaftesbury had married the daughter of the third Marquess.
Marquess of Donegall | Ulster
By the mid-19th century, the castle was owned by the then Marquess of Lansdowne, with Samuel Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland" (printed 1837) stating that it was an "irregular pile", the "property of the Marquess of Lansdowne [..] occupied by Mr. E. Cavanagh".
Drimnagh Castle | History
This site is believed to have been the ancient capital of Airgíalla (Oriel), a kingdom originating some time in the pre-Christian era (according to semi-mythical accounts, it was founded by The Three Collas in AD 331). A motte-and-bailey was constructed in 1193 by the powerful Anglo-Norman Pipard family (Sir Roger Pipard, c.1136 – before 1225), to consolidate their hold over the region. They first built a wooden castle. This site was not necessarily chosen for its military or defensive usefulness, but for reasons of prestige. By building atop an ancient Gaelic Irish capital, the Norman conquest of Ireland was made clear.
Mannan Castle | History
It was designed in the Baronial style by J. Rawson Carrol, a Dublin-based architect, and is constructed from a yellow-brown sandstone brought by sea from County Donegal. It comprises a gabled range with a central tower topped by a conical roofed turret. The land, which once belonged to the O'Connor Sligo family, was confiscated by the English Parliament to compensate the people who put down an Irish rebellion. Around of land on which Classiebawn now stands was granted to Sir John Temple (1600-1677), Master of the Rolls in Ireland. The property passed down to The 3rd Viscount Palmerston, the statesman who served as both British Prime Minister and British Foreign Secretary.
Classiebawn Castle | Design
Glenveagh Castle () is a large castellated mansion located in Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal, Ireland and was built in about 1870.
Glenveagh Castle | Introduction
The castle was built on Castle Hill, towards the south. Only a vaulted basement remains.
Dunphail Castle | Structure
Rathfriland Castle () is a ruined castle at Rathfriland, County Down, Northern Ireland. The castle was a square building of 3–4 storeys with a stone barrel vault at the first floor level to reduce the risk of fire and was one of the seats of the Magennis's, Lords of Iveagh. Most of it was pulled down by Mr. William Hawkins of London, after the rebellion of 1641, and the remainder destroyed by General Henry Ireton on Oliver Cromwell's orders.
Rathfriland Castle | Introduction
At the time the castle was built the Shannon, as it passed through Athlone, was very different from today. It is likely that in the early days of its existence the castle enjoyed the protection of a fosse or moat. The castle was greatly fortified in the late 13th century (c1276) when the original ‘motte’ was surrounded with a curtain wall with three-quarter round towers (or drum towers) at the corner. These features, again greatly rebuilt, still survive today. The castle was reconstructed by Sir William Brabazon in 1547. The external walls and towers came under heavy fire during the Sieges of Athlone in 1690-91 and were later destroyed when lightning struck the castle in 1697.
Athlone Castle | History
Ashtown Castle (Irish: "Caisleán Bhaile an Ásaighis") is a tower house in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland. It was found hidden within the walls of a much larger and more recent Georgian building, the Under Secretary's Lodge also known as Ashtown Lodge, that was being used by the Papal Nuncio until 1978. At that time, the Lodge was deemed structurally irreparable due to dry rot. However, as the building was being demolished, Ashtown Castle was discovered. It has now been restored and forms part of the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. It is thought to originally date from the 1430s, as it is built to dimensions that conform with a government policy of the time that offered £10 to those who built a castle for their own safety.
Ashtown Castle | Introduction
Despite being locally known as King John's Castle or King John's Court (after the Lord of Ireland 1177–1216), it wasn't built until twenty years after his reign. The original keep (constructed 1235/40) was low and squat, the roof being at the level of the present second floor. Meyler de Bermingham extended it c. 1250. In 1316 the castle was attacked, leading to the construction of city walls. In the 15th century the Berminghams moved from it to their town house near the market cross in the square. In 1596 (during the Nine Years' War) the castle fell into the hands of the O'Donnells.
Athenry Castle | History
Under the terms of the Ulster Plantation grant, Feidhlimidh was obliged to build a new castle in Ballymagauran. In a visitation by George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes in autumn 1611 he states that ""Magauran had his own land given him on this division"". By 1613, Feidhlimidh Mág Samhradháin had progressed with building work. Sir Josias Bodley reported on 6 February 1613-""Proportion No. 31: 1,000 acres. Magauran is strongly seated, and near to his Irish house by a lough's side hath begun an English building of lime and stone of 40 feet long and 20 broad, not yet raised above the first story, but with this season intendeth to set it forward: There is round about it a trench and dike of earth and sod, which with little labour may be made of good strength, and that, it seemeth, by his beginning, he hath a purpose to do."" By 1619 "Pynnar's Survey of Land Holders" found that Mág Samhradháin had built a castle on his holdings.
Feidhlimidh Mág Samhradháin | Ballymagauran Castle
It was built as a summer house and burned down during the Second World War.
McDermott's Castle | Building
Dunluce Castle () is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland, the seat of Clan McDonnell. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim (between Portballintrae and Portrush), and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is surrounded by extremely steep drops on either side, which may have been an important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood.
Dunluce Castle | Introduction
Brian's castle was in the townland of Coologe, now in the parish of Templeport, County Cavan. An earthen ringfort now on the shore of Coologe Lough is probably the site of the castle. Poem 1 by Giolla Pádraig mac Naimhin in the Book of Magauran describes what the castle looked like about 1290 A.D. It is described as a strong compact stout castle with interior walls of white hazel-wood which were covered with satin and tapestries. Along the wall were weapon racks with blued-iron spears, javelins and bridles. The door of the castle was ribbed in gold. The palisade outside was bright with berries.
Brian Breaghach Mág Samhradháin | Coologe castle
Raphoe Castle, also known as the Bishop's Palace, is a ruined early 17th-century castle on the edge of Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland. The 'castle' was built in the 1630s for The Rt. Rev. Dr John Leslie, Church of Ireland Lord Bishop of Raphoe, from stone from a ruined round tower. Bishop Leslie was besieged within the castle during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, until he was relieved by the Laggan Army. Leslie was laid siege to again during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, with the castle surrendering in 1650. It was damaged by supporters of King James II & VII in 1689 during the Williamite War.
Raphoe Castle | Introduction
Patrick Donnelly burned the castle during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. In the 1660s, the Caulfield family was able to restore and re-occupy said castle. Oliver Plunkett and John Wesley both held services in the castle in 1670 and 1767, respectively. However, the castle fell into disrepair around the year 1700. Today, the castle is a State Care Historic Monument in County Tyrone.
Donnelly (surname) | Introduction
Castle Caulfield is a large ruined house situated in Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The house was built by Sir Toby Caulfeild between 1611 and 1619. He was granted 1000 acres during the Ulster Plantation. This land was previously owned by the O'Donnelly family, who were closely connected to the O'Neill clan in Dungannon. The O'Donnelly fort was a few miles West of the castle. The building was three storeys high with attics, a cellar, many large mullioned windows and tall chimneystacks. A joist from one of the walls was dated using dendrochronology to about 1282 and may belong to an earlier fort.
Castle Caulfield | Introduction
O'Dea Castle, also known as Dysert O'Dea Castle, is an Irish fortified tower house, loosely described as a castle at Dysert O'Dea (), the former O'Dea clan stronghold, from Corofin, County Clare just off the R476 road. It was built between 1470 and 1490 by Diarmaid O'Dea, Lord of Cineal Fearmaic, and stands some high on a limestone outcrop base measuring . The tower is adjacent to Dysert O'Dea Monastery.
O'Dea Castle | Introduction
Mahee Castle, also known as Nendrum Castle, is a small ruined tower house near Nendrum Monastery on Mahee Island in Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was built in 1570 by Captain Thomas Browne. It was abandoned by the early 17th century, and fell into disrepair. In 1923, H.C. Lawlor and the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society partly renovated the tower house to avoid further erosion and built a buttress wall to support the northwest corner of the tower.
Mahee Castle | Introduction
Belfast Castle was built in 1177 during the Norman Invasion of Ireland after John de Courcy acquired land in eastern Ulster that included the small village of Belfast (on the ford of the rivers Farset and Lagan). To consolidate his power over the area, de Courcy ordered the construction of fortifications in Belfast and nearby Carrickfergus resulting in the erection of Belfast Castle and Carrickfergus Castle. The original site of Belfast Castle was roughly where modern-day Castle Place and High Street meet in Belfast city centre. The castle was attacked, recovered, destroyed and rebuilt many times. As part of his campaign to establish himself as king of Scotland, Robert Bruce ordered his brother Edward Bruce to invade Ulster in an attempt to divert English military resources.
History of Belfast | Medieval period
He erected a motte in the 1180s in Carlow, on the site of which Carlow Castle was built in the 13th century. Excavations at Carlow Castle in 1996, found the remains of a series of post-holes inside a curving ditch, running under the walls of the towered keep and therefore pre-dating it. The remains of a corn-drying kiln were found to the north of this. These features were interpreted as representing the remains of the first castle here, whose defences and buildings seem to have been constructed of earth and timber. A reinterpretation of the historical sources suggests that this primary timber castle was built in the early 1180s by Hugh de Lacy for John de Clahull.
Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster | Carlow motte and bailey
Though the castle was built as a royal castle, it was often in the hands of the Butlers as they controlled the surrounding lands and was close to Nenagh, where the Butlers had one of their principal castles. The castle was rebuilt in stone between 1276 and 1281, probably as part of the King Edward I's orders to secure safe storage and transport of mined silver from the Silvermines to the west of Nenagh. Large-scale mining of silver ceased at the Silvermines in the early 14th century following disputes with local people and as a result of Gaelic resurgence in the area.
Roscrea | History