A tower by the river, a furnished family seat, a ruin with a view. These guides help you choose what suits your day, with the history behind the building and the practical details that make a visit possible.
Pick a base below. Nearby towns share a regional guide when their choices overlap.
Choose a castle trip from Galway City: Athenry's medieval hall, Aughnanure by Lough Corrib, Claregalway and Yeats's tower, with maps and checked access notes.
4 places to compareCompare Blarney, Blackrock, Barryscourt and Mallow from Cork City, with castle photographs, a map and practical notes on tours, gardens and seasonal access.
3 places to comparePlan a castle day from Youghal: Lismore gardens, Dungarvan harbour and Barryscourt’s tower, with clear distinctions between garden access and castle interiors.
5 places to compareChoose castle visits around Limerick: King John’s, Bunratty and Adare, plus clearly marked closures at Askeaton and Craggaunowen. Includes maps and sources.
4 places to compareCastle outings from Ennis: Bunratty, Thoor Ballylee and King John’s Castle, with Craggaunowen’s seasonal closure explained and distances shown honestly.
3 places to compareCompare Athenry, Thoor Ballylee and Portumna from Loughrea: medieval halls, Yeats’s tower and a Renaissance great house, with maps and checked visitor notes.
4 places to compareExplore castle and estate visits from Portumna to Birr, Nenagh and Roscrea, with a map, admission notes and the difference between castle rooms and gardens.
4 places to compareCompare Cahir’s river fortress with Ormond’s Tudor rooms, Lismore gardens and Dungarvan’s harbour keep. Original guide with maps and current access notes.
4 places to compareCastle trips from Waterford: Ormond’s Tudor manor, Dungarvan’s harbour keep and Johnstown’s Gothic house, with Ballyhack’s current closure explained.
5 places to compareChoose castle visits from Wexford: Johnstown, Enniscorthy and Huntington, with Ferns and Ballyhack closures, original descriptions, photographs and a map.
4 places to compareExplore Carlow’s ruined keep, Ballymoon’s courtyard, Huntington’s lived-in rooms and Kilkenny’s galleries, with photos, a map and practical access notes.
4 places to comparePlan castle outings from Kilkenny: the city’s restored rooms, Ormond’s Tudor gallery, Ballymoon’s courtyard and Carlow’s ruined keep, with maps and sources.
5 places to compareCompare Rathfarnham, Malahide, Swords and Maynooth from Dublin, with castle interiors, garden visits and Dublin Castle’s 2026 closure clearly explained.
3 places to compareChoose a castle day from Letterkenny: Glenveagh’s lakeside mansion, Doe’s coastal tower or Donegal Castle’s restored interiors, with maps and access notes.