The most beautiful castles in Ireland

10.Castle Hackett

Castle Hackett is a 13th century tower house located close to Knockma along the east side of Lough Corrib. A Norman family called Hacketts who settled in the area built it.

This part of the county was part of the O'Flaherty's lands but after the Norman invasion they were forced to move across the lake to their other territories in the Connemara. In the 15th century the Kirwan family, one of Galway's 12 tribes, took up residence in the house.

The castle was abandoned in the 18th century and the Kirwans built a new three-story house called Castlehacket which was burned in 1923 during the Civil War but rebuilt and still stands today.

9.Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is a medieval castle that has been expanded over the centuries and turned into a five star luxury hotel. It is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organisation and was previously owned by the Guinness family.
In its time the castle has played host to many notable guests, including: King George V and his consort Queen Mary; John Lennon; George Harrison; Oscar Wilde (whose father, Sir William Wilde, had an estate adjacent to Ashford, where the writer spent much of his childhood); President Ronald Reagan; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; US Senator Ted Kennedy; John Wayne; Brad Pitt; Pierce Brosnan; and Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his consort, Princess Grace.... view details

8.Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle was built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a symbol of Norman occupation and in its original thirteenth-century condition it would have formed an important element of the defences of the town.
The gardens and parkland adjoining the castle are open to the public. The Parade Tower is a conference venue. Awards and conferring ceremonies of the graduates of "Kilkenny Campus" of National University of Ireland, Maynooth have been held there since 2002.... view details

7.Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was until 1922 the seat of the United Kingdom government's administration in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland.
The Castle served as the seat of English, then later British government of Ireland under the Lordship of Ireland (1171-1541), the Kingdom of Ireland (1541-1800), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1800-1922). After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, the complex was ceremonially handed over to the newly formed Provisional Government led by Michael Collins.
Originally built as a defensive fortification for the Norman city of Dublin, it later evolved into a royal residence, ...... view details

6.Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. The picturesque complex has a character of its own and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. Few remnants of the early structures survive; the majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries.
According to local mythology, the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil's Bit, a mountain 20 miles north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock's landing in Cashel. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century.... view details

5.King John's Castle

King John's Castle is a 13th-century castle located on King's Island, next to the River Shannon. Although the site dates back to 922 when the Vikings lived on the Island, the castle itself was built on the orders of King John in 1200.
One of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe, the walls, towers and fortifications remain today and are visitor attractions. The remains of a Viking settlement were uncovered during archaeological excavations at the site in 1900.... view details

4.Blackrock Castle

Blackrock Castle is a castellated fortification located at Blackrock, about 2 km from the centre of Cork city on the banks of the River Lee in Ireland.
Originally developed as a coastal defence fortification in the 16th century to protect upper Cork Harbour and port, the site now houses an observatory, visitor centre and restaurant. The castle's observatory houses an interactive astronomy center which is open to the public, and has exhibits including a "tour of the universe" and a radio telescope that beams messages composed by school groups towards nearby stars. ... view details

3.Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold near Cork City and the River Martin. While the original stone structure was built around 1210, the current structure dates from around 1446.
At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. There are many versions of the origin of the stone, including a claim that it was a numinous stone upon which Irish kings were crowned.
The grounds include a poison garden with a number of poisonous plants, including wolfsbane, mandrake, ricin and opium, as well as cannabis. ... view details

2.Athenry Castle

Athenry Castle is a tower house and National Monument of Irleand. 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.
Athenry Castle is a large rectangular building with base-batter, originally containing only a hall on the upper level and storerooms at ground level. The battlements are 13th century with tall arrowslits in the merlons. In the 15th century, these parapets were incorporated into gables at the north and south ends for a new roof. Parts of the original enclosure wall of the castle survive.... view details

1.Ross Castle

Ross Castle is a 15th-century tower house and keep on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park. It is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan, though it is better known for its association with the Brownes of Killarney who owned the castle until more recently.
There is a legend that O'Donoghue leaped or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table and his library. It is said that O'Donoghue now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that he sees.... view details