10 Must See Castles in Ireland
The picturesque country of Ireland contains many castles situated in its vast countryside. Ranging from medieval ruins, to hotels.
Most of these castles were not built to be royal residences so are more modest in their appearance, they were mostly built during the country’s Norman rule, and were designed primarily to act as defensive fortresses.
1. BUNRATTY CASTLE
Bunratty Castle, located in County Clare, is a large 15th century castle and is hailed as a one of Ireland’s popular tourist attractions.
The MacNamara family constructed the vast structure that still stands to this day back in 1425 but the initial settlement is thought to date back to the time of the Vikings. Today the castle is run by Shannon Heritage and is fully open to the public.
2. MALAHIDE CASTLE
Malahide Castle resides in County Dublin in the beautiful seaside town of Malahide. Some of the castle’s structures date as far back as the 12th century.
The castle boasts a decorated history as it has survived after attacks during the Battle of the Boyne and in the 1920s James Boswell’s private papers were discovered at the estate.
3. TRIM CASTLE
Trim Castle is a Norman fortress located in Trim, County Meath on the River Boyne.
The castle was built in the 12th century during the Norman rule and is said to have acted as the centre of Norman administration for the Lordship of Meath. The castle is also the largest Norman castles to have been constructed in Ireland. Trim Castle is referred to in the poem “The Song of Dermot and the Earl”.
4. BLARNEY CASTLE
Blarney Castle resides in Blarney near Cork and was built in the 15th century, with some of the older structures dating as far back as the 13th century.
Blarney Castle is one of the most famous castles Ireland has to offer due to it being the home of the Blarney Stone, the giver of eloquence in exchange for a kiss. As well as this, it is one of Ireland’s most visually attractive castles.
5. ROSS CASTLE
Ross Castle is in County Kerry and is the ancestral home of the O’Donoghue clan.The castle was built in the 15th century and resides next to the lake at Killarney.
Ross Castle was one of the last castles to surrender to Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads during the Irish Confederate Wars. The interior of the castle is currently in ruin however; the exterior of the castle is a handsome tourist attraction.
6. PARKES CASTLE
Parkes Castle is situated near Leitrim in County Leitrim and the existing structure was completed in the early 17th century.
During the 20th century the castle underwent extensive restoration works and is now a hidden gem that stands as not only a tourist attraction but also a place in which to stay.
7. KILKENNY CASTLE
This 13th century castle resides in County Kilkenny.
Kilkenny Castle stands as a reminder of the Norman rule in Ireland during the 13th century and would have been used as a defensive fortress during the time.
8. DONEGAL CASTLE
Donegal Castle is one that is unlike others in Ireland in terms of its appearance, it is located in County Donegal on the River Esque.
The castle consists of buildings that date back to the 15th century and for the last two hundred years most of the buildings were in a state of ruin until a restoration project in the 1990s.
9. DUBLIN CASTLE
Dublin Castle sits in the heart of Ireland’s capital city and served as the centre of the British government in the country for centuries.
The castle has a checkered past, it was originally built as a defensive fortress during Dublin’s Norman rule, but later came to function as a royal residence. Today the castle is home to both a museum and the Chester Beatty Library.
10. BIRR CASTLE
Birr Castle is described as a large castle situated in the town of Birr in County Offaly.
The castle has been referred to as “One of the seven wonders of Ireland”. The site has been resided over since the late 12th century but the castle that stands today was constructed in the 17th century.
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Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
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Top 14. Best Tourist Attractions in Limerick - Ireland
Top 14. Best Tourist Attractions and Beautiful places in Limerick - Ireland: King John's Castle, Lough Gur Visitor Centre, Hunt Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral, University of Limerick, Thomond Park Stadium, Frank McCourt Museum, Curraghchase Forest Park, Limerick Greyhound Stadium, People's Park, St. John's Cathedral, The Treaty Stone, Redemptorist Church, Limerick City Gallery of Art
Views Around Drogheda, County Louth & County Meath, Ireland, 5th March, 2019
Views Around Drogheda, County Louth & County Meath, Ireland, 5th March, 2019
I've just added a new video to my Tourism: Ireland playlist: of an exploration of Drogheda in Ireland. Drogheda is is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. It is known for its tourism and as a centre of industry and medical care. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth but with the south fringes of the town in County Meath, 49 km or 30 miles north of Dublin, and has a population of approximately 41,000 inhabitants (2016), making it the third largest town by population in all of Ireland. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea. To read more about Drogheda, click here: .
This film features footage from a circular walk around the town, which begins and ends at the railway station. The film features views of the station, streets, churches, architecture, bridges, River Boyne, statues, historic landmarks and art.
To see a film of Dublin, click here: .
This film is a Moss Travel Media production – mosstravel.tv
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Irish Castles-Irlandia
Slide show
Places to see in ( Lurgan - UK )
Places to see in ( Lurgan - UK )
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Lurgan is about 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin railway line. It had a population of about 23,000 at the 2001 Census. It is within the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon district.
Lurgan is characteristic of many Plantation of Ulster settlements, with its straight, wide planned streets and rows of cottages. It is the site of a number of historic listed buildings including Brownlow House and the former town hall.
Historically the town was known as a major centre for the production of textiles (mainly linen) after the industrial revolution and it continued to be a major producer of textiles until that industry steadily declined in the 1990s and 2000s. The development of the 'new city' of Craigavon had a major impact on Lurgan in the 1960s when much industry was attracted to the area. The expansion of Craigavon's Rushmere Retail Park in the 2000s has affected the town's retail trade further.
Lurgan sits in a relatively flat part of Ireland by the south east shore of Lough Neagh. The two main formations in north Armagh are an area of estuarine clays by the shore of the lough, and a mass of basalt farther back. The earliest human settlements in the area were to the northwest of the present day town near the shore of the lough. When the land was handed to the Brownlow family, they initially settled near the lough at Annaloist, but later settled where the town was eventually built. The oldest part of the town, the main street, is built on a long ridge in the townland (baile fearainn) of Lurgan. A neighbouring hill is the site of Brownlow House, which overlooks Lurgan Park.
Lurgan has historically been an industrial town in which the linen industry predominated as a source of employment during the Industrial Revolution, and is said to have employed as many as 18,000 handloom weavers at the end of the 19th century, a figure significantly higher than the town's resident population at the time.
Lurgan town centre is distinctive for its wide main street, Market Street, one of the widest in Ireland, which is dominated at one end by Shankill Church in Church Place. A grey granite hexagonal temple-shaped war memorial sits at the entrance to Church Place, topped by a bronze-winged statue representing the spirit of Victorious Peace. A marble pillar at the centre displays the names of over 400 men from the town who lost their lives in the First World War.
At the junction of Market Street and Union Street is the former Lurgan Town Hall, a listed building erected in 1868. It was the first site of the town's library in 1891, was temporarily used as a police station in 1972 when it was handed to the Police Authority, and is today owned by the Mechanics' Institute and is available for conferences and community functions.
Lurgan railway station opened by the Ulster Railway on 18 November 1841, connecting the town to Belfast Great Victoria Street in the east and Portadown and Armagh in the west. The Great Northern Railway of Ireland provided further access to the west of Ulster which was then closed in the 1950s and 1960s from Portadown railway station. Presently Lurgan railway station is run by Northern Ireland Railways with direct trains to Belfast Great Victoria Street and as part of the Dublin-Belfast railway line. The Enterprise runs through Lurgan from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Central, and a change of train may be required at Portadown to travel to Newry or Dublin Connolly.
( Lurgan - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Lurgan . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Lurgan - UK
Join us for more :
100 Towns of Ireland. Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick
A quick car ride through 100 towns of Ireland in alphabetical order..Abbeyfeale, Abbeyleix, Adare, Ardee, Ashbourne, Athenry, Athlone, Athy, Abbeyfeale,
Balbriggan, Ballina (Co. Clare), Ballinasloe, Ballyvaughan, Baltinglass, Barna, Birr, Boyle, Bray, Buttevan,t Carlow,Carrick on Shannon, Castlebar, Castleisland, Celbridge, Charleville, Claremorris, Clifden, Collooney, Cork, Croom, Doolin, Dublin, Dunboyne ,Dungarvan, Dunshaughlin, Edenderry, Ennis, Enniscorthy, Galway, Glenbeigh, Gorey, Gort, Graiguenamana, Greystones, Kells, Kilbeggan, Kilcock, Kilcoole, Kilkee, Kilkenny, Killarney, Killorglin, Kilrush, Kiltimagh, Kinvara, Leixlip, Limerick, Listowel, Longford, Loughrea, Mallow, Maynooth, Milltown Malbay, Moate, Mountbellew, Mulhuddart, Mullingar, Nenagh, Newcastle West, Newtownmountkennedy, Oranmore, Patrickswell, Piltown, Portumna, Rochfortbridge, Roscommon, Salthill, Skerries, Sligo, Tralee, Trim, Tuam, Tullamore, Tyrrellspass, Waterford... Music thanks to copyright of
R U in Ireland exploring Carrignacurra Castle Inchigeelagh and The Gearagh Nature Reserve Cork Irel
Privately owned castle in County Cork with a lake and a planning permission!
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Free to see and do in Cork and Dublin
A Journey through Ireland
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Guided Tour of Louth
The Louth Tour Guide Network visit some of the great sites of County Louth over a weekend in November 2012.
The Sites and the Guides:
Monasterboice - Aisling H
Old Mellifont Abbey - Liam Mc Cauley
Boyne Currach Centre - David Campbell
Millmount - Gerry Mc Keon
Killencoole - Nikki Browne
St Mochtas House & St Marys Abbey - Barry Rogers
Hill of Faughart - Paul Lynch
The Poc Fada - Michael Kinahan
Carlingford Lough - Don Baldwin
Historical Dundalk - Deirdre Rogers
Traditional Music - David Patton
Thanks to Kieran & Ian for helping everyone along
(There is one wee clip of the Joes Juniors, after winning the League in Dowdallshill that Sunday afternoon also!!)
Castles and Crosses Rovingwerners's photos around Drogheda, Ireland (castles of county louth)
Preview of Rovingwerners's blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here:
This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator.
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St Patrick's Day in Dundalk co. Louth - Ireland - 2012
Dundalk, St Patrick's Day in 2012, clanbrassil street , Saint Patricks parade in Dundalk