Medieval castle ashford kong ireland. Ireland castles

On the shores of the picturesque Lough Corrib Lake, the second largest in Ireland, lies the monumental complex of Ashford Castle. Today, within its walls there is a hotel, where lovers of luxury and splendor prefer to stay, who want to feel like medieval Irish aristocrats. Well, if you are on a tight budget, we recommend just taking a walk through its territory.

The castle was built in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman Burgo family. They owned several fortresses in this area, but Ashford was the main one. In 1589, the complex passed into the possession of Richard Bingham, who significantly strengthened the structure. The Brown family bought it 126 years later. Then the appearance of the castle was diluted with details typical for French architecture of that time.

In 1852, the fortress was sold to the famous politician Benjamin Guinness, who significantly expanded the estate, planted several hundred trees and erected two additional wings in the Victorian style. In 1868, the son of Guinness rebuilt the entire western part of the building and laid out a large garden.

In 1939, the castle was bought by Noel Haggard, who created a hotel within its walls. In 1951, renowned film director John Ford filmed several scenes here for his film The Quiet Man, which attracted many tourists. In the 1980s, the Ashford Castle Hotel was recognized not only as one of the best in Ireland itself, but also included in the list of the 50 best resorts in all of Europe. Well, after a two-year reconstruction in 2013-2015, it was recognized as the Best Hotel in the World 2015.

The Ashford Castle complex includes several dozen interconnected buildings. To understand the full scale of the grandeur of this building, it is worth mentioning that the total area of its roof is 1,000 m2. The castle is built of brown stone, which is distinguished by its strength and reliability.

Despite the scale, Ashford looks very elegant outwardly. This is achieved through narrow turrets that crown the jagged, pyramidal and rounded roofs. The castle is distinguished by an abundance of windows, some of them have a square structure, others are arched.
Ashford has 82 rooms of different categories. Each is elegant and stylish in design, some featuring paintings of the most picturesque views of Goluya, as well as gilded chandeliers, antique furnishings and spacious four-poster beds and premium Egyptian linens.

The hotel has a spa complex, the swimming pool of the center is decorated with an amazingly beautiful colored fresco. The interior here resembles the interior decoration of rich oriental castles. Incidentally, the Ashford Castle Spa was the first in Ireland to offer PureFlow wellness treatments.

Ireland is considered one of the record holders for the number of medieval castles on its territory. Unfortunately, few once majestic structures have been "saved" from the destructive power of time. Today, there are thousands of ruins of ancient castles. It should be noted that even when destroyed, they are of great historical value and are the pride of the country. The castles that have survived to our time serve as popular attractions for tourists. Some of them have been renovated and converted into hotels or museums. So every traveler-moneybag has the opportunity to stay in one of the ancient castles and feel the spirit of the past.

In Ireland, such a "highlight" are medieval palaces and castles, which are located in large numbers throughout its territory. And one of these castles is Ashford Castle (Ashford Castle).

Ashford Castle is located on the shores of Lough Corrib and the Cong River, near the village of Kong on the border of Counties Mayo and Galway (western Ireland). Today the castle is one of the best hotels in the country and at the same time an independent attraction.

Ashford Castle was founded in 1228 by representatives of the Anglonorman family de Burg (later - de Burke), who lived in Ireland from the end of the 12th century. The founder of the dynasty was William de Burgh, who, in the course of bloody military campaigns, conquered the Irish kingdom of Connaught and in 1203 defeated its rulers, the O'Connors. William de Bourgh soon died "of a strange disease too shameful to be called," and his children began building the castle. Ashford remained their main stronghold in this wild and unpredictable territory for the next 300 years.

The ruins of the magnificent Kong Abbey, where Roderick O'Connor, the last High King of Ireland, lived and died, have survived from the reign of the O'Connors, a powerful dynasty, one of whose branches still exists today. It used to be home to the greatest religion of the Irish kings, the Kong Cross, which is now housed in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. For over 350 years, Ashford Castle belonged to the de Burgh family, whose representatives by that time already considered themselves completely indigenous to the Irish, not wanting to recognize the authority of the English crown.

In the second half of the XVI century. the head of the dynasty was Richard Burke, nicknamed the Iron Richard, warlike and restless, recognized as the autonomous leader of the clan even by the English crown. In 1583 he died and was replaced by the widow, the "pirate queen" Granual, and their 17-year-old son Theobald, nicknamed Tibbot the Ship.

In 1584 Sir Richard Bingham was appointed Governor of Connacht Province. Soon a general uprising began in Connacht, in which de Burkes were also active participants. Bingham hanged several members of the de Burkes family and razed more than one ancestral castle to the ground, not skimping on fines and confiscation of property. In 1585, Theobald Burke was taken hostage as a guarantee that his mother would comply with the terms of the Connacht Agreement, which ordered the heads of the Irish clans to abandon their traditional rights and privileges and formally cede their lands to the English crown. While in prison, Theobald learned English. Soon Bingham let him go and Theobald joined the uprising.

After fierce clashes between the de Burkes and Bingham's forces in 1587, the parties concluded an armistice. But the lull did not last long, although it ended in the defeat of the rebels. Bingham took possession of Ashford Castle in 1589 and built a separate fortified enclave on its territory. In 1596, the Queen, tired of reports of Bingham's atrocities and his inability to cope with the riots, recalled him from Ireland, but two years later sent him back to Green Isle to suppress the uprising led by Hugh O'Neill.

In 1715, the Ashford estate became the property of the family of Baron Oranmore Brown, and the medieval fortifications were supplemented by an elegant palace in the style of French châteaux of the 17th century.

In 1852, the estate was acquired by the Irish entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, grandson of the founder of the Guinness brewery. After the death of his father, Sir Benjamin became the richest man in Ireland, established an active export trade and constantly expanded his business. In addition, Guinness was interested in archeology and did much to preserve ancient Irish heritage sites, including in County Galway. He expanded the estate, built new roads there, planted thousands of trees, and added two large Victorian-style wings to the mansion.

In 1867, the image of the renovated castle appeared in the local history book "Lough Corrib" by the famous Irish surgeon and author of books on the history and archeology of Ireland, Sir William Wilde, the father of the famous writer. Sir William wrote: "The following illustration ... depicts the steamer Eglington passing by Ashford Estate, the stately residence of Sir BL Guinness, Member of Parliament, with a tower that dominates the surrounding forests."

In 1868, after the death of Sir Benjamin, the estate passed to his son Arthur Edward Guinness, who, like his father, was a businessman, politician and philanthropist. In 1880, Queen Victoria bestowed upon him the title of Lord Ardilon (the title of the title comes from the Gaelic phrase meaning "high island in the lake").

Lord Ardilon lived in Ashford for most of the year and invested heavily in the development of the estate and the upkeep of the castle. An avid hobby gardener, Lord Ardilon took a special interest in the development of vast woodlands. In addition, with the help of architect James Fuller, he completely rebuilt the entire western wing of the castle. The generous Baron also sponsored a number of steamers, including the Lady Eglington, which sailed between the villages that grew on the shores of Lough Corribe and Galway. This opened up new opportunities for the trade development of the region.

From Lord Ardilon, the castle passed to his nephew Ernest Guinness. After the death of the latter, since 1915, the castle was managed by the Iveagh Trust family foundation, which in 1939 sold the estate to Noel Haggard, a native of Irish hotel business. The new owner opened a first-class hotel here, particularly renowned for offering traditional local activities such as hunting and fishing (Lough Corrib turned out to be the best trout and salmon fishing spot in Europe).

In 1970, the castle was acquired by the American multimillionaire John Mulcahy. He often stayed at Noel Haggard's hotel with a retinue of secretaries and assistants. He liked it so much that he decided to buy Ashford in the end. Mulcahy has undertaken extensive renovations, almost doubling the size of the building, renovating old gardens and lawns, and providing a stunning golf course with stunning views of Lough Corrib.

Mulcahy's dream was to make Ashford the best hotel in the world, thanks to the talented manager Rory Murphy. In 1975, Ashford was named the best hotel in Britain and Ireland by the authoritative hotel guide Igon Roney. This is the first time an Irish hotel has received such a high rank. “It was a defining moment,” Murphy said. “They began to write so much about us in the press that the guests threw them in a shaft.”

In 1985, Ashford Castle was bought by a group of 64 investors led by former US Ambassador to Ireland Walter Curley and US-Irish businessman and philanthropist Charles Feeney. Rory Murphy remained the manager and only retired in 2002. In 2007, a consortium of investors sold the hotel for 50 million euros to Irish businessman Gerry Barrett, who by then already owned several hotels in County Galway.

Today, Ashford Castle Hotel is a stately structure with many crenellated towers, parapets, galleries, lancet windows, massive fireplaces, cellars and secret passages. The landscape is complemented by a bridge leading to the castle over the Kong River with two massive fairytale towers. The interiors of the castle are no less striking. It offers guests 85 superbly decorated rooms and several beautiful rooms, furnished with expensive furniture, exquisite wood carvings and valuable works of art. The design of each room is unique.

A special attraction in Ashford is its excellent cuisine. The restaurant in the George V Hall is open year-round, and its chef is Stefan Matz - Ireland Good Eating Guide 2010 “Best Chef in Ireland”. In this chic room for 150 people with excellent views of the lake and river, you can taste the masterpieces of Irish and international cuisine.

The restaurant in Connacht Hall is open in summer and serves classic French cuisine. The same Matz is in charge of the kitchen. This room is more comfortable and has a capacity of 48 people. With its beautiful wood carvings and a fantastic fireplace, it is considered one of the finest in the castle.

After dinner, you can have a drink at the Prince of Wales Cocktail Bar, which was created in the late 19th century. especially for the visit of the future King George V. This room with oak paneling and the Guinness family crest hanging over the fireplace, has a particularly warm atmosphere. There is also the more informal Dungeon Bar, with regular performances by renowned singers and harpers performing traditional Irish tunes. Other rooms in the castle include the elegant living room serving traditional tea and sweets, and the magnificent Oak Lobby, decorated with art from various eras.

Of particular pride in Ashford is Ireland's first falconry school. The private bird of prey breeding center is located directly on the castle grounds, on the shores of Lough Corrib. This is a rare opportunity for tourists to learn how to tame the desert buzzard, owl and falcon. In addition to learning to hunt with birds of prey, the castle offers many other activities including trout and salmon fishing, long forest walks, horse riding lessons, and Lady Ardilon ferry cruises on Lough Corrib, one of the largest, cleanest and picturesque in the country. The castle has everything you need for sports: excellent tennis and golf courses and even a skeet stand. Ashford often hosts special events such as a wine tasting week or a seafood week. The hotel has a modern wellness center with a sauna, jacuzzi, gymnasium and a full range of spa treatments.

Lovers of silence can retire in beautiful gardens: the castle is surrounded by landscaped grounds with many trees, flower beds, lawns and walking alleys, laid out in the era of Sir Benjamin Guinness. One of the paths leads to a wooden chalet built by Lord Ardilon for his wife Olivia.

Lovers of the exotic will be offered helicopter excursions over the castle, the city of Galway, the Moer Cliffs and the Connemara region, one of the most beautiful regions of Ireland.

In Ireland, on the shores of Lough Corrib, is the ancient Ashford Castle. Once upon a time, a very long time ago, back in 1228, the Anglo-Norman family de Bourg began the construction of a powerful fortress, which for several centuries was a reliable haven for the family. The castle withstood many attacks from the conquerors.

Ireland fought for its independence for a long time, and Ashford Castle was often at the center of hostilities. But, nevertheless, the Tudors conquered Ireland.

In the second half of the 16th century, the forces of Lord President Richard Bingham approached the castle. The battles lasted for several years, but still, in 1589 the castle fell. Its new owner was Richard Bingham, who immediately began to build new fortifications.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the castle changed several owners, until in 1852 it was acquired by the aristocrat Benjamin Guinness, whose family owned the castle until 1939. During this time, several buildings were added, roads were laid and several thousand trees were planted.

But not every tourist can visit this castle and see its sights. Only hotel guests can admire the interior, including many high-ranking personalities, Hollywood stars and world-class musicians.

Photo: Ashford Castle

Photo: Ashford Castle (ashfordcastle.com / used under permission)

The hotel has luxurious rooms, from which you can enjoy views of the lake and forest. Many rooms have unique antiques purchased at auctions. The hotel has 2 restaurants, a spa and a wellness center. Fans of outdoor activities can go fishing, take a horse ride, walk through the park and forest, take a ferry ride on Lough Corrib Lake.

The stunningly beautiful is famous not only for its wonderful natural landscapes, but also for its numerous castles, the history of which is inextricably linked with the history of the country, its sorrows and joys. Almost any medieval castle in Ireland is steeped in mystical charm; its history contains a lot of mysteries and secrets, sometimes eerie and paranormal. Ireland is the country where there are many - shadows of the bloody past and to this day reminding living people of themselves. A lot of such ancient castles today have become either museums, and yet, they have retained a share of mystery and mystery. We have compiled a selection of the most interesting ancient castles in Ireland and tried to tell their fascinating ancient history.

Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is one of the most beautiful historical sites in the western part of Ireland. It stands at the confluence of the Cong River and Lough Corrib, right on the border of the two Counties Mayo and Galway. Ashford Castle began to be erected in 1228 for the representatives of the aristocratic family of Normans de Burgh, later the spelling of their surname was changed to "Burke". A powerful medieval castle for three and a half centuries belonged to this powerful family, which proudly called itself the descendants of the indigenous Irish and did not recognize the rule of the British in any way. In 1584, Richard Bingham became the governor of the province of Connacht, where the castle stood. He was a rather cruel man; many noble families of the region, including de Burqui, rose up against him. Then Sir Bingham sentenced several members of this clan to be hanged. In 1587, the opposing forces concluded a peace agreement, and two years later Bingham took possession of Ashford Castle, making it a well-fortified enclave, where he was a real "king" and could commit various atrocities. The Queen of England was soon tired of the regular complaints about Bingham's atrocities, causing more unrest in Ireland, and ordered to leave the territory. In the first quarter of the eighteenth century, the ancient Ashford Castle was bought by Baron Oranmore Brown, who redesigned the ancient fortress, making it an elegant palace in the French style. Since 1852, this aristocratic Irish estate was bought by a local businessman Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, a descendant of the man who opened the famous Guinness brewery. In addition to increasing his finances, this man loved to conduct archaeological research, he made a huge contribution to the cultural component of the region, taking many useful steps to preserve the old Irish attractions. He bought the area surrounding the castle, planted a forest there, made excellent roads, and also added two more outbuildings to the structure in the Victorian style that was fashionable at that time. After his death, the castle was inherited by Arthur Edward Guinness, who in 1880 received the title of "Lord Ardilon" from Queen Victoria for his philanthropic services to the country. The new owner was very fond of Ashford Castle, he continued his father's work, expanded and equipped huge forest lands, and also rebuilt one wing of the building to his own taste. And also, the baron, who was a businessman, sponsored shipping on Lake Lough Corriba, and now small steamers could move between settlements located on the shore of the lake, stopping in the city of Galway. In 1939, the descendants of Lord Ardilon sold the castle to the Irish businessman Haggard, who turned the ancient structure into an excellent hotel. People came to these beautiful places with pleasure, because in addition to living, they offered entertainment such as hunting in the richest forest lands and fishing for salmon and brown trout in the waters of the lake. Since 1970, Ashford Castle came into the possession of the millionaire John Mulcahy, who often visited these places and just fell in love with the beautiful castle. This man decided that the castle needed restoration, he invested a fortune in increasing the scale of the building, renovating gardens, lawns, and made a huge golf course on the shores of Lough Corrib. In 2007, the castle hotel was acquired by Irish businessman Gerry Barrett.

Today the magnificent Ashford Castle Hotel attracts tourists with its graceful medieval crenellated towers, beautiful parapets, numerous galleries, lancet windows. To get to the gate, you need to cross the bridge over the Kong River, crowned with watchtowers on both sides. The interior chateau interiors also delight the guests. There are eighty-five rooms here, and all of them are luxuriously decorated, furnished with antique furniture, decorated with filigree wood carvings, works of world art. Each hotel room is unique, its decor is original and inimitable. It is not for nothing that representatives of the royal and aristocratic families of Europe, famous world celebrities often stay in this hotel. The hotel's praise should be given to the chateau kitchen and the chic restaurant located in the "George V Room". The restaurant is staffed by Chef Stefan Matz, who was named Ireland's Best Chef in 2010. The restaurant can serve one hundred and fifty guests at the same time; they are accommodated in the "winter" hall, from the windows of which panoramas of the lake and the river open. There is also a "summer" Connacht hall, it can serve at the same time fifty people. The interior is more cozy and softer, there is a fireplace, the walls are decorated with carved wood panels.

So that the guests of Ashford Castle do not get bored, they are offered training at the local Falconry School, located on its territory, more precisely next to Lake Lough Corrib. Here you can have fun with traditional local amusements - fishing, walks along forest trails and a garden, take horse riding lessons, take a lake cruise on the Lady Ardilon ferry, play tennis, golf, shoot skeet, taste wines, seafood, visit the SPA. center, sauna, jacuzzi, exercise in the fitness room. If you want, the hotel staff will organize a whole adventure for you - a helicopter tour over Ashford Castle, a flight over the city of Galway, acquaintance with the Moer Cliffs, the lands of Connemara. If you do not have an extra two hundred euros, and it is from this amount that the payment for one night of stay at the hotel starts, then you can visit the castle absolutely free of charge, and local employees will lead you on a tour of it at a low negotiated price.

The address of the castle hotel "Ashford Castle": Ireland, Cong, CoMayo.

Manderley Castle

This absolutely charming historic landmark in Dublin, the Irish capital, currently owned by singer Enya, was formerly known as Victoria Castle, but has been renamed by an eccentric new mistress. The charming medieval-style Victoria Castle with crenellated turrets and a magnificent garden around was erected in 1840 and is dedicated to the day of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne. The construction was carried out by the architect Robert Warren. The castle was surrounded by magnificent gardens, which occupied fourteen thousand square meters, and from the lancet windows of the castle one could see the Irish coast, right down to the lands of Wales. From the fortress under the gardens there was a secret passage leading to the Killiney beach, however, now this tunnel is walled up. The interiors of the castle were magnificent and lush, decorated with unique masterpieces of art. Unfortunately, in 1928 there was a strong fire in the castle, during which almost everything burned out. The restoration of the castle was undertaken by the architect Thomas Power, who renamed the building “Ayesha Castle”, alluding to the goddess from the novel, who was reborn from the fire element. In 1995, the owners of the castle - representatives of the Aylmer family - arranged residential apartments and a gallery, which was named "Horse" in the premises of the former stables, in order to attract tourists. An exhibition of works by Irish and European painters has opened there.

Since 1997, the castle has become the property of the Irish singer Enya. She paid great attention to her safety in this huge building: she surrounded the castle with a real fortress wall three meters high, replaced the gate. Despite this, in 2005 robbers tried to enter Manderly Castle twice, and both times the owner was at home. Fortunately, the robbery attempts failed. Despite the fact that today Manderly Castle is a private territory, many tourists say that they managed to visit it through a direct agreement with the singer Enya. If you have a desire, then try to visit it yourself.

Manderly Castle is located at: Ireland, Dublin, Аrd Mhuire Park Killiney.

Blarney Castle

This ancient castle is one of the symbols of freedom-loving Ireland, located in the eponymous village of Blarney, in the suburbs of the small town of Cork. Blarney Castle was erected in 1446 on the site of an earlier fortress, built in 1210, which later replaced the flimsy wooden structure of the tenth century. The castle was built by Dermot McCarthy, he built a very powerful five-story fortress with thick walls, an extensive network of secret underground passages and hidden caves, so that in the event of a siege of Blarney, the owners could quickly hide without endangering their lives. These secret passages served very well for the owners of the castle in the seventeenth century, when Lord Brogill laid siege to the fortress and even was able to break through these powerful walls inside, but what was his surprise when, having entered the castle territory, he did not find a single living souls, and besides, all valuables were also taken out of Blarney by the masters.

The guides will tell you numerous real stories and legends associated with the castle. One of them is the story of how the owner of Blarney Castle was able to refuse the powerful Queen of England, Elizabeth I, to transfer ownership of the building. According to the stories, the queen dreamed of taking possession of this magnificent castle, and the desire of the ruler in those years was the law. But, the wise owner Blarney was not ready to give up his ancestral property, although he also did not dare to say this openly. When another envoy came from the queen on this issue, he cordially greeted him with feasts, treats, hunting, gifts, said a bunch of pleasantries, conveyed letters to the queen with many compliments, assurances of eternal loyalty, but did not offer to accept the desired gift - Blarney Castle. Since then, a new term has been introduced in the English language "to blarney", that is, "flatter" - to have sweet but useless conversations.

The second legend associated with Blarney Castle is the famous “Blarney Stone” - “Blarney Stone is the main attraction of the region, located at the top of one of the towers. The Blarney Stone or the "Stone of Eloquence" is covered with more than one myth, and, moreover, they are all different and do not reveal the essence of the appearance of this artifact in any way. They say that this stone was donated to one of the owners of the castle by an Irish witch, to whom he turned to help him win a hopeless lawsuit. This man was distinguished by tongue-tiedness and did not at all hope to win in the dispute, but after he kissed the stone that he received from the witch, he was able to charm the judges with his ornate speeches and won a stunning victory in the courtroom, defending his property. As for the "Stone of Eloquence" itself, it was a part of the famous Skunk stone, earlier it was used for the coronation of the kings of England and Scotland. An interesting legend of its acquisition: for many years the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II traveled to different countries, looking for paradise on earth, and found it in Northern Ireland. The princess never parted with her talisman, a sandstone stone, which, according to the Bible, was Jacob's pillow, it was on it that he saw a dream about angels climbing stairs to heaven. When the princess of Egypt died, the stone was deposited in the Scottish abbey of Skuna. Part of this stone was donated to the ancestor of the castle builder, Demort McCarthy, after he helped King Robert the Bruce win the Battle of Bannockburn. Subsequently, during the construction of Blarney, part of the Skunsky stone was built into one of the walls of the tower, moreover, at its very top. Since then, the belief has been firmly entrenched in the stone that any person who kisses him will acquire the gift of eloquence. But you will have to try to kiss the stone: climb to the very top of the tower - its fifth floor, bend incredibly and, holding onto the handrails, kiss.

Today Blarney Castle is a fairly well-preserved square fortified keep, with powerful walls, fortified by towers at four corners. But the interior interior has not resisted to this day, although the guides tell you in detail about all the rooms: they will show you where the apartments of the owner Blarney were, the rooms of his entourage, the guest bedrooms, and also a secret room for murderers, there were servants hiding there, always ready by order of the owner. kill an unwanted guest.

On the territory of Blarney Castle there is a very beautiful house in the Gothic style "Blarney House", built in the eighteenth century, however, the original building in 1820 burned out in a fire, and the new one was restored a little to the side in 1874. It is open to tourists from April to May on Fridays and Saturdays.

Blarney Castle Garden is another rather mysterious place where you can feel some kind of mystical atmosphere. Here are located such artifacts as: "Rock Close" - the ancient altar of the pagans, the Circle of the Druids, the Witches' Kitchen. An interesting place is the “Ladder of the Witches” - this is a green split rock, inside of which you can walk along slippery steps, moreover, you must first make a wish and close your eyes so that during your passage along the stairs the little elves will fulfill your plans. The gardens around Blarney Castle appeared in the eighteenth century, laid out between centuries-old oak trees, intertwining corners of nature with man-made masterpieces of landscape design. It is allowed to have picnics in the castle garden, so there are always a lot of tourists here. In the castle itself, newlyweds are allowed to take photos for free.

You can visit Blarney Castle every day from nine in the morning to seven in the evening on summer days and until half past six in winter. Day off - December twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth. Entrance ticket to Blarney Castle: adult - ten euros; for children from eight to fourteen years old - three and a half euros. The entrance to the park at the castle is free.

Blarney Castle Address: Ireland, Blarney Village.

Bunratty Castle

The massive and formidable medieval Bunratty Castle is located in County Clare in the eponymous village of Bunratty, near Shannon. This fortress has a long history. Back in 1425, it was erected by the Irish clan McNamara on the site of the citadel of the former Viking trading town, built in the tenth century. Then more castles were built here in 1250 and 1318, which were also destroyed. And the castle that we see now is the last fourth version of the building, which managed to resist and survive well to this day. It took some time after construction and the castle was in the possession of the O "Brien family. The building was badly destroyed in 1641 during the Irish uprising, but it was rebuilt after five years. From the eighteenth century, the Studdert family owned Bunratty castle. At the beginning of the nineteenth century they left the fortress in order to move to a more comfortable and elegant palace, and the old building gradually began to collapse from lack of maintenance and timely repairs.

Already today, the castle has been recognized as a cultural heritage site.In the period from 1945 to 1954, the state carried out a global restoration there, so that the renovated castle could return all its medieval splendor. Its interiors were filled with antique furniture, household and art objects, priceless tapestries, and the rooms and halls were returned to the original luxurious decor that characterized the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Any piece of art here is supplemented with an information plate about its origin. Today, Bunratty Castle is considered one of the best preserved in Ireland, where the richest collection of medieval furniture and tapestries is collected. Medieval-style feasts are often held in its chic halls.

Tourists are happy to get acquainted not only with the castle, but with the village where it stands, because here they have the opportunity to visit local farms and fishing houses, learn about traditional crafts for the area, take pictures in national costumes, taste amazing dishes, watch historical scenes. who often go to the castle to entertain guests. It is very pleasant to walk in the garden surrounding the castle, it was created in a strict Victorian style, there are many flowers, fruits and vegetables here.

The castle is open every day from nine in the morning until four in the evening, and the park is open until half past five in the evening. The price of a ticket with an included excursion for an adult is fifteen euros, for children - nine euros, for students - ten euros.

McDermott's Castle

Very beautiful and incredibly romantic McDermott Castle, located within the miniature green islet of Castle, which grew up in the middle of the picturesque Loch Key, in the Irish County of Roscommon, near the town of Boyle. The round lake stretches for ten kilometers, and thirty small islets are scattered across its entire surface. By the way, there is an interesting local legend about the appearance of this reservoir. They say that the lake appeared thanks to the Druidic deity of Nuada named Ki, who was wounded during the mythological Second Battle of the village of Moytur, and hid in search of shelter to heal. After a short journey south, he saw a beautiful flowering valley, then lay down on the ground and fell fast asleep. Suddenly, water from underground sources began to rapidly arrive and in a matter of minutes they covered both the green glade and the god who slept on it. A lake appeared here.

Gradually, people began to settle on some of its islets. Thus, according to the ancient written sources of the Annals of Loch Key, it is known that Castle Island was occupied at once by two Irish clans McDermott and McGreevy. Soon a powerful castle grew here, which was first named "McGreevy", but, as the chronicle says, then this family nest was named after the surname of the McDermott clan. Here you can read about the constant struggle and battles for the possession of the castle and the island, most likely the representatives of the McDermott family reclaimed the fortress. The same chronicle says that in 1184 this castle was engulfed in a powerful fire after a lightning strike and the structure - a fortress with serrated semicircular turrets - was almost completely burned out in the fire.

The next castle was built on the site of the one that burned down at the end of the twelfth century. It is said that in the Middle Ages, between two warring families McDermott and the McCostello clan, which settled on another island, there was a tragic episode, reminiscent of the story of "Romeo and Juliet". In the castle lived the daughter of the owner Una McDermott, who fell in love with the boyfriend Thomas McCostello, but when her parents found out about their relationship, they were forbidden to meet, and Una was sent by her parents to an uninhabited remote island of the lake. But the couple in love did not stop seeing each other secretly: every day Thomas swam across the lake from his island to a lonely island to see Una. But the girl's sad existence away from her family and in longing for her beloved did not last long, and she died. She was buried on Trinity Island, and Thomas continued to sail here to the grave of his beloved. Late autumn came, the water in the lake was already very cold, but the young man did not give up his venture with swimming until he fell ill with pneumonia and died. In his dying fever, he asked Una's father for the right to be buried next to his daughter, to be together, if not in this life, then in a better one. The father agreed, and two rose bushes were planted over the graves of the lovers, which soon intertwined, showing to all living the inviolability of love bonds even after death. Already quite strongly overgrown pink thickets and to this day, tourists can see on the island of Trinity.

In an interesting poem dating from the fifteenth century, you can read about the local sorceress Heg Lok Klu, better known in the local lands as the "Old Woman of Loch Key", who found a way of a comfortable and well-fed existence: she imposed a vow on the owner of the island and the castle, Cormac McDermott eternal hospitality.

Historical records further indicate that the McDermotts family lost this island and castle in the seventeenth century when the English protector Cromwell came to Ireland with his troops. McDermott Castle was taken over by the English crown. True, in the next century lightning struck the building and it once again burned out, leaving picturesque ruins as a reminder of itself. At the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century, a house-residence and a park for country recreation were built on the island for the English royal family, but this building was also burned down during the Second World War.

As for the members of the McDermott family, they moved to the Rockingham estate nearby. This house was surrounded by a picturesque woodland and a park, where there was a beautiful lake. That part of the territory also fell into the possession of the crown when the Lough Key recreation and entertainment park, which occupied eight hundred hectares of land, was built here. The old observation tower Moylurg, of the McDermott clan, was located on the territory of the park, just on the site of the house of this clan, which burned down in 1957, because it was one of its parts. Also, there is a stone throne-chair, many secret underground passages, labyrinths, entangling the area. There is an old dilapidated church here. Getting acquainted with the local park, tourists must reach the Trinity Bridge, built in 1836, and also look into the stone "Garden of God". The very same McDermott Castle is absolutely charming ruins and one of the most beautiful and romantic sights of Ireland.

McDermott Castle Island Address: Ireland, Lough Key, County Roscommon.

Menlo Castle

Ireland is the homeland of numerous warlike clans, which in ancient times fought for power with swords in their hands, and in order to protect their families and supporters, they had to build powerful fortresses. But in their place, other families, no less thirsty for power, were always ready to stand, who sought to destroy the castles created by the previous feudal lords, to expand their former possessions, in order to strengthen their clan and dynasty. One of these representatives of the formidable and implacable clan is Sir Richard Caddell, who was one of the Knights of the Round Table under King Arthur, and for his unusually dark skin color received the nickname "Black". He arrived on the Irish island during the first wave of Anglo-Norman resettlement in 1169, and in order to finally take root here, he married a local girl Mirabella, who was the daughter of local feudal lord Richard De Burke. Soon, Cadell became Sheriff of Connaught, and all his offspring later occupied the highest positions. Cadell decided to build his family estate and his castle in Menlo, near the city of Galway and the Corrib River. In the city of Galway, there were fourteen large and influential families who ruled all the affairs of the region, and, naturally, their representatives became related to each other through marriages, over the centuries becoming almost a single clan.

In the sixteenth century, the Menlo castle, after modifications and reconstructions, became a powerful fortress-city with fourteen ramparts, gates, streets. The city of Galway itself flourished, engaging in extensive trade with other countries. Due to the unusually strategically advantageous location of the castle on the banks of the river, in the middle of the seventeenth century, the troops under the command of Cromwell tried to capture the castle of Menlo, but, fortunately, they soon lifted the siege and left, and the civilians did not suffer.

In the Irish history of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, one of the representatives of the family, the mystical Sir Valentine Black, was very vividly captured, to whom people gave the nickname - "Master Menlo", and spoke of him as the Irish "Bluebeard", because the wives of this man : Mary Martin, Ellinor Lynch, - suddenly died of unexplained reasons. Soon, there were no people left wishing to marry the strange owner of Menlo Castle. And only seven years later Mary French agreed to marry him. In general, Sir Valentine was a rather respectable gentleman, he worked as a surgeon. But it was just a beautiful facade, because everything looked different inside the castle walls. They say that he had a very difficult relationship with his father, who adhered to the Catholic faith, and to hide this, Sir Valentine in the last years of his father's life did not let him out, saying that he had become feeble-minded. While dying, his father bequeathed to bury himself according to the Catholic canons, but the son did exactly the opposite: he arranged a funeral according to Protestant rites, and when the inhabitants of Galway and Menlo came to the farewell ceremony for the deceased, he publicly declared that his father was crazy, then the townspeople, who knew him as a very kind and sane person, left the funeral, and a big scandal immediately erupted. In the course of these proceedings and scandals, the tombstone was installed not at the head of the deceased, but at the feet. This was not corrected in the future, and as the locals say, it became a trigger for the tragic events that happened next and the revenge of the offended soul of the late father.

It must be said that Sir Valentine had only three children: his two already grown sons died, the youngest daughter got married and moved to another city, with her father only the youngest crippled daughter Miss Helene, suffering from rheumatism and practically unable to move on her own, remained with her father. The father often insulted his daughter, breaking down on her for all his failures in life. And she gradually fell ill with mental illness, then they began to lock her in a room, not letting out people. Two maids, Anna and Delia, were assigned to the unfortunate girl to help her if necessary. On June 26, 1910, Sir Valentine and his wife went to spend the night in Dublin, and at five o'clock in the morning his daughter's room was engulfed in fire. The coachman Kirvan, who lived in a room on the second floor, heard the desperate cries of the maids, but he could not get out the stairs to the apartment of the master's daughter, because everything was already on fire, then he went down the walls, entwined with ivy, along the outer wall, getting out of his window rooms. He ran around the castle to understand how the building was engulfed in flames and with horror realized that the entire part overlooking the river was on fire. Suddenly he saw on the roof two figures of maids who were rushing about, asking for help. Local residents had already come running to the castle, who brought the ladder, but it did not reach the roof, the clothes on the girls had already begun to smolder, then bales of straw were piled below, they were ordered to jump down. Delia jumped first, but she landed next to the straw and immediately crashed to her death. Anna hit the straw and landed on her feet, she was alive, but in poor condition, so the girl was urgently sent to the hospital. Her further fate is unknown.

When Sir Valentine returned from Dublin, the news struck him on the spot, he fell ill and fell seriously ill. Several days passed and the "Master Menlo" died, what is most surprising is that the tombstone on his grave was also installed the other way around, like his father's. What was it: a coincidence or revenge of local residents for disrespecting their father? - now no one can answer for sure. It was rumored that the fire happened as a heavenly punishment for the mysterious deaths of the wives of "Bluebeard", for the disregard for the will of the father and the bad attitude towards the unfortunate daughter.

Today, absolutely picturesque ruins, covered with a cushion of green ivy, remain from the castle, tourists are sure to come here to look at this romantic attraction next to the river. Many locals arrange picnics here, although they say that it is better to leave this place before dark, because on the ruins you can see strange ethereal shadows mourning their fate. Maybe one of them is the ghost of Sir Valentine's daughter Ellen, who was never buried due to the fact that her corpse was never found, and the other two are his spouses, who are said to have been killed by an insidious husband in Menlo Castle. Be that as it may, this place is full of mystery and mystical charm and is definitely worth a visit when in Ireland.

Enniskillen Castle

Beautiful and stately, moreover, the well-preserved Irish castle of Enniskillen stands in County Fermanach on the banks of the Erne River. It was built by the chief of the Gaelic clan, Hugh Maguire, in order to control the neighboring territories of the northwest, and to protect representatives of its kind from the attacks of warlike neighbors. The strong walls of the first structure - the square tower - held up the defenses quite well, and this reliability made Enniskillen castle the center of power and power in Fermanagh. Scientists to this day cannot accurately determine the date of the construction of the castle, they can only judge that in the first written sources dated 1439, it is already mentioned as a formidable stronghold and a reliable citadel. The builder of this castle and the ancestor of the clan died in 1428. The next leader, about whom researchers are absolutely certain, was a representative of the same clan from Enniskillen - Sean Maguire, elected in 1484. Over the centuries of its existence, the castle has been improved and strengthened, its appearance has changed. This was caused by the urgent need to keep an endless defense, because the castle was in a strategically important place and there was always a confrontation for it. That is why the leaders of the clan constantly had to come up with new ways to protect and strengthen the fortress walls. The county was regularly attacked by enemy attacks, and Enniskillen Castle could not be on the sidelines. He especially suffered during the period of the Irish Wars, when the local population heroically resisted the seizure of their territories by the British. It is known that they managed to capture this fortress after a week's siege in 1594. The castle suffered no less from the intrigues of politicians that reigned in a circle, thus it was unwittingly drawn into a prolonged nine-year war from the end of the sixteenth century.

Since 1607, the chieftain of the clan by the name of Kuhonnakt was expelled from Ireland for treason, and his possessions, including the castle of Enniskillen and the lands of the English conquerors, were given to the city constable Sir William Cole. The new owner began to rebuild the castle to his liking. He erected the Watergate structure, which was completed on both sides by round towers. Now it is not reliably known for what this building was erected, but presumably there was a drawbridge that has not survived to this day, that is, the structure was a powerful gate. Other researchers say that most likely it was not a bridge, but a tower for defense. Whatever it was, and today Watergate, with the flag towering over it with the image of St. George, is the symbol of this Irish county.

Soon Ireland became a military base for the Kingdom of Spain, as a result, the castle was enlarged in size to accommodate more soldiers' barracks, as well as an arsenal of weapons. From the nineteenth century the fortress was conquered by the British and from there they resisted the advance of the French. The castle was equipped with modern defensive structures at that time, including watchtowers, stronger walls, and additional barracks and stables for their horses were erected for the large garrison of the British. The military stood here until 1950.
Today, Enniskillen Castle is a popular museum in Ireland, where you can learn about the history of County Fermanagh, about the old town of Enniskillen, about the military affairs of this country. In addition, there is the Royal Riflemen's Museum, the Inniskilling Regimental Museum. In the castle-museum, tourists can see interesting household items, clothes and furniture that belonged to people who once lived in this castle. The collections of Irish lace, ceramics, weapons and military uniforms are very interesting.

Enniskillen Castle can be visited:
- From May to June, in September - Monday, Saturday - from 2 pm to 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - from ten in the morning to five in the evening. Sunday is a day off.
- From July to August - Monday, Saturday, Sunday - from 2 pm to 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - from ten in the morning to five in the evening.
- From October to April - Monday from 2 pm to 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - from 10 am to 5 pm; Saturday and Sunday are days off. Adult ticket - four euros; for children, students, pensioners - three euros.

Enniskillen Castle address: city of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.

King John's Castle in Limerick

This ancient castle of the thirteenth century stands in the city of Limerick on the territory of the "Royal Island". The building was built for King John Lackland in the middle of an islet created by the natural bends of the Shannon and Abbey rivers. The castle replaced the flimsy earth mounds that once served to protect the local population. Of course, initially the structure changed over time, it increased in size, improved in terms of fortifications. It was not long before the Limerick Royal Castle became the most impregnable fortress of the British in the west of Ireland. Despite this, in 1642 this marvelous example of Norman fortification was ravaged during the capture of Ireland by Cromwell and his troops. Not far from the castle, if you go to the other side of the river across the Thomond Bridge, there is a monument in the form of a stone, reminding descendants that the Peace of Limerick was signed here during the battle between the two kings, which took place from 1690 to 1961.

Today, the Castle of King John Lackland has become a museum. The fact is that some time ago they wanted to open an information tourist center here, but when they started digging the ground for some buildings, they found that here, under the soil, there are well-preserved Viking houses, their household items, ornaments. Weapons from the times of antiquity were discovered in the form of rams and catapults, the remains of people who died during the capture of Limerick by Cromwell, military barracks. That is why it was decided to open a museum at this castle so that tourists could get acquainted with the history of the city of Limerick and the whole of Ireland, see the reconstructed Viking dwellings, medieval castle fortifications.

The exposition of the castle is divided into several zones: archaeological - this is an open-air excavation; underground - already excavated historical architectural objects - ruins and fragments of premises, dwellings, fortress walls. In the information center, visitors can see a model of the city of Limerick and its castle, precisely at the time of their heyday. Another large area is the Royal Castle itself, with its large courtyard and observation towers, as well as the fortress wall.

The entrance ticket price is nine euros. The castle is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Days off: December twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth.

The address of the castle of King John Lackland: Ireland, County Limerick, city of Limerick, St. Nicholas Street.

Belfast Castle

Very beautiful, as if descended from the page of fairy tales, the castle stands on a hill above the city of Belfast, being its most popular symbol. Belfast Castle is surrounded by beautifully manicured Cavehill Park.

The first wooden castle was built by the Norman knight John de Courcy at the end of the twelfth century after the capture of the kingdom of Ulster, which existed in these lands. But the Normans were not the first to notice these places, because on the slopes of the Cave Hill, dug with caves, people began to settle in the Bronze Age. To this day, scientists have discovered buildings there that are several thousand years old. The ancient cities and dwellings of the Celts fell into ruins long ago when the British and Normans came to Ireland. Returning to the history of the original fortress, it did not stand for a long time, because it burned out in a fire, but tourists can see its model in the castle museum. After the loss of the fortress, the British decided that it would be safer to build a stone castle, but it also stood no more than a century and also burned out in a fire, and in honor of that building there was a street, the name of which can be translated as: "Location of the castle." Four centuries passed, when the third stone-wooden castle was built here, it also stood for a century, when the enemies of its owner, Sir Arthur Chichester, burned the building.

The majestic Belfast Castle in its current version was erected already in 1870 under the Marquis of Donegal. So much money was spent on the construction of the lush mansion and on its richest interior décor that the family almost went broke. The Marquis decided to stop with the final finishing of Belfast Castle, and after his death, the heirs sold the unfinished structure to the Shaftesberry family. The Earl of Shaftesberry and his wife, the Marquise Harriet Augusta, were able to bring to mind this fairytale castle, which was inherited in 1894 by their descendant, who was later elected to the post of mayor of Dublin. In 1934, the Shaftesberry family donated the Belfast castle to the city, and the local authorities began to carry out restoration work in it since 1978.

The six-story Belfast Castle is famous for its stunning garden with a central fountain. Walking along the well-groomed paths, tourists can admire the dizzying panoramas of the Belfast Bay and the sea views. Today, Belfast Castle is supported by tourists, and various celebrations, weddings, banquets and so on are held here. The castle has its own souvenir shop and an excellent small restaurant.

It is worth saying that a very important topic associated with Belfast Castle is the white cat. There is a legend that the white cat is the amulet and guardian of the aristocratic Donegal family, who once owned the castle, and as long as such a white cat lives in the castle garden, not only this family, but the fortress itself will be in order. While Donegal lived in Belfast Castle, there were always plump white cats running around. In addition, nine images of cats were taken in the garden, which connect the entire territory of the garden together. The guides say that if a tourist manages to find all nine images of cats, without prompting, because some of them are not immediately visible, then you can make a wish that will come true. In general, for Ireland, a white cat is considered a mystical sacred animal that can bring a person money, happiness in the family and success in business. These beliefs of the Irish are associated with their Celtic roots.

Another local souvenir theme, besides the white cat, is the legendary Titanic, which was manufactured at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in 1911. Entry to Belfast Castle and Gardens is completely free.