Ballinafad Castle

Castle View, Ireland

Ballinafad Castle is an Elizabethan blockhouse built during the Nine Years' War by Captain John St. Barbe on land granted to him by King James VI and I. The castle was garrisoned by ten men and commanded by John St. Barbe. It was partially destroyed by Red Hugh O’Donnel in 1595. The castle was again sacked in 1642 and fell out of use by 1680.

Today it is in ruins and is accessible year round. There are no tours, guides, or fees. Visitors can park in a small carpark at the foot of the hill where they will find an interpretive sign. Visitors cannot enter the castle, but the interior is visible through breaches in the walls that are closed off by iron fences.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Ireland

Address

Castle View 7, Castle View, Ireland

See all sites in Castle View

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Ireland

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery (4,3 km)
Ballindoon Priory (6,4 km)

Sligo Abbey (28,6 km)
St Columba's Church (34,9 km)
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery (27,8 km)
Parke's Castle (26,5 km)
Creevykeel Court Tomb (46,3 km)
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (28,7 km)
Queen Maeve's Cairn (30,2 km)
Creevelea Abbey (22,9 km)
Ballymote Castle (13,8 km)

User Reviews

Michael Fergus (16 months ago)
Great stop on the side of the road.

Michelle OShea (18 months ago)
Nice spot, shame you can't enter

Roger Bellingham (2 years ago)
Unfortunately, the castle was closed for repairs so it could only be seen from the outside. The castle has a very interesting history, details of which are displayed on a notice board. It is worth a visit if you are in the village but not worth making a special journey.

mark chambers (2 years ago)
Past this castle many times and was glad to final stop and check it out. My youngest boy has always been obsessed with castle and he loved it. Literally just a 10min stop or like us you could have a picnic in the grass

Amber Mckay (2 years ago)
It is a nice castle but still being renovated and beware of roaming sheep. And lack of access for now

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.