Irish Castles, County Limerick
Irelandseye.com continues the tour of Ireland, moving up the westt coast, with details of Irish castles. Now to County Limerick:
Adare Castle
The time-worn remains of this Anglo-Norman fortress on the banks of the River Maigue may be counted among the most impressive castles in Ireland. It was first mentioned in 1226 as being held by Geoffrey de Marisco, but later passed to the FitzGeralds, possibly as early as 1240. The Earls of Kildare retained ownership for nearly 300 years until Silken Thomas's rebellion of 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earl of Desmond. Barely forty years later, in 1578, the Munster Geraldines were themselves in rebellion and lost the castle to English troops after an eleven-day siege. Attempts to retrieve the castle resulted in a series of notably bloody sieges in 1579, 1581 and 1600, leaving the fabric badly damaged. It was finally dismantled by Parliamentary troops in 1657.The castle was probably begun in the 1190s and initially comprised a large square tower; this was remodelled in the 15th century and is thus difficult to assess confidently. No doubt it served as the lord's accommodation and thus complemented the more public function of the Great Hall by the river, which was clearly built to entertain visitors. The curtain walls around the inner ward and along the west side of the outer ward were possibly built around 1240, no doubt replacing timber palisades. The very ruined aisled Great Hall may have been added in 1326 when the second Earl of Kildare undertook extensive works at the castle. It is flanked by kitchens and service rooms, which extend to the eastern perimeter of the outer ward - whose well-preserved battlemented walls may be largely 15th century in date.
14.5 km (9 miles) SW of Limerick city. NGR: R 471467.
Askeaton Castle
The splendid castle of the Munster Geraldines at Askeaton, the principal seat of the last Earls of Desmond, rises majestically above the River Deel on a small rocky island. Most of the ruins belong to the 15th century, though they incorporate parts of a much older fortress that was founded here by William de Burgo in 1199. The Earls of Desmond had many changes in fortune after they acquired the place in the 1340s, but the heyday of their great wealth and power undoubtedly came when the King, otherwise engaged in French wars, surrendered his royal rights in Munster to the seventh Earl of Desmond. It was during this time from 1420 to 1457 that most of the castle and nearby Franciscan friary were built.The castle extends over two courtyards - an upper ward crowning the rock and a lower ward surrounding it. The upper ward still retains fragments of its 13th-century polygonal wall with footings of a gateway on the east side. At the northern end stands a large 15th-century hall and chamber block, probably on 13th-century foundations. In the outer ward, built against the ramparts on the west side, stands the celebrated banqueting hall - perhaps the finest secular building of its period in Ireland. Its foundations are early medieval, but the ground floor vaulted chambers, cellars and kitchens all belong to the 1430s, when the seventh Earl built the hall above - a magnificent room 72 feet long and 30 feet wide. A striking feature are the large windows with decorated carvings, while the south end is decorated with a blind arcade, behind which stands the remains of a chapel block.
During the Desmond rebellion in 1580, the castle fell to Pelham after two days' bombardment, and shortly afterwards was handed over to the Berkleys. In 1599 the Earl of Essex came to its relief after it had withstood a 147- day siege by the "Sugan" Earl of Desmond. It was captured by the Confederates in 1642 and ten years later dismantled by Cromwellian troops.
25.5 km (16 miles) W/SW of Limerick city on the T68. NGR: R 341501.
Carrigogunnell Castle
From its superb vantage point on a volcanic crag, this fortress is a striking landmark which demonstrates an excellent use of natural defences. It is mentioned in 13th century contexts, but the greater part of the present remains belong to the period after 1449 when the sixth Earl of Desmond conferred it on Brien Duff O'Brien, son of the Prince of Thomond.It has a rather complex range of buildings, including a four-storey tower, a circular bastion and a gabled house. In 1536 the castle was surrendered to Lord Deputy Grey, after he used his artillery to blow up the gate of the outer court. The men of the garrison, who were found huddled in the dungeon, were all taken out and executed. The O'Briens later lost the castle in the Cromwellian forfeitures. In 1691 it was mined and blown up with an enormous quantity of gunpowder by order of General Ginkel, after it had surrendered with its Jacobite garrison of 150 men.
Located 2 miles NW of Mungret. NGR: R 499552.
Limerick Castle
This striking landmark in Limerick, known as "King John's Castle", stands on the east bank of the Shannon within the city walls, commanding a strategically important river crossing. It was built as a royal fortress in the early 13th century and is an outstanding example of a "keepless" castle, similar in many respects to contemporary castles at Kilkenny and Dublin. It has a pentagonal plan with massive drum towers defending each of the four main angles - one of which was replaced by a diamond-shaped bastion in 1611. The Normans appear to have attempted to secure control of Limerick around 1202 when the Annals record a "castle there". Stone-revetted earthen banks, recently discovered during excavations, may be part of this early Norman fort. Work on the stone castle may have begun a little later, perhaps around 1210, as the Pipe Rolls record an expenditure of £733 on the site in 1212.For most of its history the castle remained in Crown control and had an uninterrupted line of constables from 1216 until the death of Lord Gort in 1842. Despite this continuity, the castle did not escape being captured on many occasions. It fell to Bruce in 1316 and later again to the O'Briens and MacNamaras in 1369. In 1642 it was taken by a strong force of Irish, after they ignited mines and breached the walls. Recent excavations in the vicinity of the east curtain wall have uncovered a fascinating series of mines and countermines dug during this siege. The castle was captured by Cromwellian troops in 1651 and by Williamite troops in 1691.
In the 18th century the towers were reduced in height and fitted to bear artillery. Barrack buildings were also completed in 1751 and remained in use until 1922. These were partly replaced by Corporation houses in 1935, but in 1990 the whole interior was cleared and a new visitor centre erected. Ongoing archaeological excavation, supported by Shannon Heritage, continues in the castle every summer.
Limerick city. NGR: R 582576.
Shanid Castle
The famous war-cry and motto of the Earls of Desmond "Shanid aboo", echoed a belief that this little castle was "Desmond's first and most ancient house". It was built by Thomas FitzGerald, after he had been granted the land around 1198. The castle comprises the shattered shell of a polygonal tower spectacularly clinging to the summit of a large earthen motte with surrounding fosse and bank.The tower is circular internally and only half survives to full parapet height. It was surrounded by a curtain wall around the summit of the earthwork; the remains on the south side still retain some of their battlements and loop-holes. A small kidney-shaped bailey on the east side has no sign of an enclosing wall. It was captured by Red Hugh O'Donnell in 1601 and wrecked in 1641.
13 km (8 miles) N of Newcastle West. NGR: R 243452.
from the Appletree Press title Irish Castles
Click here Irish Castles to buy the newly reformatted book from Amazon.co.uk. The previous edition of Irish Castles is also still available from Amazon.co.uk.
