History

  A useful panel placed by The Heritage Council [1] at the entrance of the complex provides useful information about the history of Ballygrennan castle.
  In more detail, according to the Irish archaeologist Thomas Johnson Westropp, Ballygrennan is a late 16th century 4 storey tower house, with an additional fifth storey attic level, sorrounded by a court with bawn wall and outer gate, including other buildings.
As reported by Westropp, the castle had several owners during the centuries. In 1583, it was partially held by W. Ffoxe and moreover it had been held by Gerald, Earl of Kildare, and his ancestors. Later on, in 1621, it was granted to Dr. J. Metcalf and G. Jones and, in the mid 17th century, the castle and the sorrounding area were held by James Fox, who had to pay 17 shillings and 6 pence per annum to the Earl of Kildare.
The castle was later sold to G. Evans, whose grandson was created Baron Carbery in 1715.
A detailed historical timeline about the castle and related estate is provided in [2].
  … And to increase your curiosity about this beautiful place, we found a very appealing video on the Youtube channel of “DroneHawk”, that we recommend you to watch [3].

References


Other useful links

Tips

  Located near Bruff, in county Limerick, Ballygrennan was always our little escape, when we didn’t fancy a long drive from Limerick, but yet we wanted to delight ourselves visiting this silent castle. Although it could use some tourist-friendly improvements, it still holds on to its beautiful history and stands tall, nonetheless centuries have passed over it.
  The access to the complex is given by a short driveway from the main road and, while we advise you to be aware of the electric fence (we didn’t dare to check if was turned off 😅), you can easily get inside the keep through a hole in the walls. You might also encounter some cattle, looking pretty visitor friendly though, so they won't disturb your visit.
  Although in ruins, some interesting details can be admired, such as the tall chimney, the bartizans and the windows. All this can create a striking background for a great shot.