Carlow Castle

Carlow, Ireland

Carlow Castle has a large rectangular three-story limestone keep with circular towers at each angle. The castle dates from the early 13th century. It was built by William Marshal the elder in the time period between 1207 and 1213 which he spent in Ireland. The castle in Carlow was the very first of its kind in Ireland.

The castle was handed over to the crown in 1306, granted in 1312 to Thomas Plantagenet, confiscated by the crown in 1537 as the landlords were absent, bought by the Earl of Thomond in 1616, changed hands multiple times until it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in 1650 but was later returned to the Earl of Thomond. In 1814 the castle was widely destroyed in an attempt to create more space for the conversion into a lunatic asylum with the help of explosives. Just the outer face of the west wall and the two neighbouring towers could be preserved.

Comments

Your name



Address

Mill Lane 6, Carlow, Ireland
See all sites in Carlow

Details

Founded: 1207-1213
Category: Castles and fortifications in Ireland

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

TAOREED OLATILEWA (4 years ago)
I needed satnav for Bus, Rigid and articulated trucks please!!!
Anthony Moran (4 years ago)
A beautiful castle ruin that badly needs repairing for safety. You can no longer get to close to it as parts of the tower are unstable.
Arrianne Ivyr Rozario (4 years ago)
This is practically it. The good thing is it's in the town so you can enjoy a walk and explore their town which is quite nice. People are friendly and always happy to give directions. Some even share a bit of history.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.