History

  Located in county Mayo, almost halfway between Westport and Newport, the remains of Castleaffy (in Irish, Caisleán Laimhthe [1] or Caisleán Aife [2]) dominate a quiet bay in an impressive scenery, suggesting that this castle played an important role in the Irish political chessboard during the Middle Ages. However, despite the sense of solemnity it instills in the visitor, not much information is available about its history.
  According to [1], the castle was built by Laffy Malley, an uncle of Gráinne Ní Mháille (Gráinne O'Malley), the legendary pirate Queen of Connacht, ruling the Clew bay, who might have used this castle during her life. In [3] it is stated that it was actually Gráinne herself responsible for its construction. This suggests that the castle was built sometime in the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. However, it is proposed in [4] that even the Anglo-Normans might have erected here an initial structure during the 12th century.
  Probably, it was erected by local Irish in this position for defensive reasons: as the tide is not deep enough to allow big boats to access the adjacent bay in front of which the castle stands, English invaders would get stranded, before being able to get out [1].

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Tips

  Overlooking the Clew Bay, near Westport, the remains of Castleaffy are as impressive as its history. The tale speaks about an Irish female pirate and her clan, who have controlled the sea in County Mayo.
  Although located on a private land, it is very easy to access the grounds and take a closer look at the ruin. You can park right beside the road and enjoy the landmark.
  Unfortunately, there are no information panels exposed, so we are not fully sure about its origin. Reach out to us if you know more about it 😉