castles historical tipperary

A spectacular group of medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars.

Features include an audio visual show entitled "Strongholds of Faith", which is available in English, French, Italian and German as well as various other exhibitions.

Please note that this is a very busy site and visitors m...

The present massive tower, or donjon, was originally one of three towers interspersed in the curtain wall of a strong Norman castle which was also guarded by two semicircular towers and a gatehouse (parts of which remain to the south of the tower). The tower has 5 storeys, and the walls are up to 20 feet thick. A southern window-niche opening off the second floor has Romanesque decoration on the inside, while there is early Gothic decoration on a chimney piece in the floor above.

The...

Moycarkey Castle was a Cantwell fortress, consisting of tower house, 7.6m high bawn walls with small towers in opposite corners....

This is one of the few castles in Ireland which is round. It was built by the Purcells in the 16th century. The walls splay at the bottom. Of the two ceilings which are preserved, one is a flat corbelled ceiling, the other is vaulted. The castle has 5 storeys, turrets, a broken fireplace in the 3rd storey, a 'murder hole' above the door to drop things on unwelcome intruders, and a small hole for muskets at one window....

The castle consists of a long main block with a square tower at each corner. The door is of good workmanship, and the interior, which is now empty was lighted by a myriad of two-and three-mullioned windows. In the interior walls there are a number of fireplaces which are no longer in a good state of preservation. Parts of the bawn, with a corner turret, can still be seen nearby.

The castle originally had 26 gables and 7 tall chimney stacks. A stone once over the doorway and now bui...

A 16th century tower-house of 4 storeys, with vaults over the ground and second floors. The fireplaces and chimneys are later insertions. About 100 feet of the wall of the bawn are still visible....

A late Elizabethan or early Jacobean tower-house (now used as a cow-house), surrounded by one of the most extensive and best-preserved bawns in the country, with massive towers at the corners. Little is known of its history, other than a man named Keating acquired it in the mid 18th century, but on non-payment of rent, he was forcefully evicted by the owners, the Everards. Later a family called Jolly lived in it....

This is an excellent preserved ruin of an 12th century castle. Which was later restored in the 16th century, by John Kenny. During the rebuilding a mass book, that dates back to the 9th century, was found. This is named as the "Stowe Missal". 

The four-storey tower-house stands in a bawn with a round-headed doorway. The second storey has a good fireplace, and the third floor is vaulted. An unusual feature is the window with remains of tracery on the third floor abov...

The south end of the castle is a 15th or 16th century tower-house with rounded corners. It has 4 storeys, with vaults on the first and third storeys. In the 17th century, windows and a fine fireplace with initials of one of the Purcell family were inserted.

In the first half of the 17th century the Purcells added the northern part, with towers at opposite corners. It was lighted by mullioned windows, and a number of fireplaces are still retained in its walls. Col Nicholas Purcell,...

The castle was probably built by Theobald Walter Butler some time early in the 13th century, and the Butlers still owned it in 1640. the castle is square in plan with rounded turrets at the corner, but only one storey of the original three or four remain. The tower on the north-east is only enterable by steps up from the outside. The interior of the castle was divided into two apartments by dividing wall. Access to the castle is by foot only, as it's located on private land.

In t...