Moygara Castle, Ballymote, Ireland

Located in the rolling countryside of southern County Sligo, Moygara Castle is one of the finest Gaelic castles in the north-west of Ireland. The Castle of Moygara was the principle fortress and dwelling of the O Gara family. The castle stands in a slight eminence with great views, particularly to the south. It dates from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The building consists of a plain rectangular tower set within a nearly square bawn withflanking angled tower at each corner. These commanded the adjacent curtain walls as well as the timber papapets that would have existed in the original building. The main entrance was on the western side where, at a later time, an entrance porch was added to the original arched opening.

References:

Discover Ireland

Castles and fortifications in Ireland

User Reviews

Ярослав Кузнец (2 years ago)
Brilliant castle and we were very lucky with weather. Road is a bit tricky as it’s very narrow. As per 5th of August 2023 site is closed to public entrance due to conservation works so you can’t visit it.

Debhin “Des” G.W (4 years ago)
Brilliant castle. O' Gara abu!

Sandra vtZ (6 years ago)
Appreciated the ruggedness of the rural setting, with cows grazing and not much commercialization as yet.

James Connolly (6 years ago)
There had been an effort to significantly restore this monument in the early 2000s, but that was apparently sidetracked by the economic collapse of 2008 and thereafter. Currently, the site is untended but still accessible by opening a gate. The fortress is rather impressive in terms of its overall size and the intactness of two of its towers. Entrance to the interior of the fortress is barred currently, but it appears that from the front that it is possible to enter over a rather steep dirt path. Caution should be observed as some of the rocks in the upper walls are clearly loose and susceptible to tumbling down on reckless explorers.

PartialZeus Playz (8 years ago)
The castle is a very historic location. Be warned there are cows there so that means cow poo

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Max Streltcov

Historic Site of the week

House of Blackheads

House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.

The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.

Moygara Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

House of Blackheads