Preface
Step into the world of ancient Ireland
There are places in Ireland where history does not feel distant. It rises from the landscape, stands among the trees, follows the course of a river and watches over the fields from the top of a hill. Sometimes it appears as a magnificent fortress; sometimes as little more than a weathered tower or a few stones hidden beneath the ivy. Yet every ruin has a story, and every story is part of the extraordinary tapestry of Ireland.
Across the island, castles, tower houses, monasteries, fortified homes and ancient strongholds have survived centuries of change. Some were built to defend a territory, others to proclaim the power and wealth of their owners. Many witnessed battles, sieges, political upheavals and rebellion; others simply endured the quieter passage of generations. Today, their walls may be broken and their roofs long gone, but the places themselves still have an extraordinary ability to make us wonder who stood there before us, what they saw, and what happened behind those ancient stones.
Our own journey began almost by accident. A few years ago, on a warm summer day, we came across the ruins of Carrigogunnell Castle, near Clarina in County Limerick. We knew very little about it when we arrived. We certainly did not expect that a ruined medieval castle, standing quietly above the Shannon valley, would become the starting point of something that would accompany us for years.
But there was something about Carrigogunnell that stayed with us. Its isolated position, its dramatic silhouette and the landscape stretching out beneath its walls made it impossible simply to visit and leave. We wanted to know its history. Then we wanted to see another castle. And then another one.
That curiosity gradually became Castles of Éireann.
What began with a single ruin turned into a journey across Ireland in search of forgotten places, remarkable landscapes and the stories hidden within them. Some destinations are famous and carefully preserved; others are little-known ruins that can easily be missed unless you know where to look. We have found ourselves walking through forests, crossing fields, climbing ancient walls and, occasionally, retreating rather quickly when an enthusiastic Irish dog decided that we had wandered somewhere we were not supposed to be!
Along the way, we discovered that the fascination of these places lies not only in their architecture. It is also in their setting. A castle can tell you something about the people who built it, but the landscape around it often tells you why it was built there in the first place. A river, a mountain pass, a harbour, a fertile valley or a distant view of another stronghold can suddenly make an old ruin come alive.
This website is our attempt to share that sense of discovery.
We are not simply collecting pictures of beautiful ruins. We want to understand the places we visit and to bring together their history, architecture, legends and surroundings in a way that makes you want to discover them for yourself. Some stories are well documented; others have been shaped by centuries of tradition and local memory. Wherever possible, we try to distinguish between what we know, what we can reasonably reconstruct and what belongs to the fascinating world of legend.
So take your time. Explore the map, choose a castle at random, follow a road into the countryside or search for a place you have never heard of before. You may find a great medieval fortress, a forgotten tower house or nothing more than a fragment of a wall covered in ivy. Whatever you find, remember that the most unassuming ruins can sometimes have the most remarkable stories.
Ireland has been changing for centuries. Its castles have changed with it. Some have survived almost intact, some have become magnificent houses, and some have surrendered themselves to the landscape. But they remain witnesses to the people and events that shaped this island.
We invite you to follow their stories, discover the places where they still stand and, perhaps, find a few that you will want to visit yourself.
The journey begins here. Enjoy the discovery.
