King John's Castle, near Cratloe
For a castle visit that explains the city growing around the Shannon crossing.
The story behind King John's Castle
King John ordered the castle around 1200 to secure this strategic river location. Its towers and enclosing walls remain part of Limerick’s skyline. The story inside follows the people, trades and conflicts of the city as well as the fortress itself.
What you will see
Interactive displays lead into the courtyard and towers, where the river views make the geography easier to grasp. It is a useful first stop before exploring King’s Island on foot. Allow time for the exhibition instead of heading straight for the battlements.
Resized and converted to WebP. Display may be cropped; the full photograph is linked.
Ticketed admission
The official schedule lists April to September opening from 09:30 to 18:00, last admission 17:00, and October to March from 09:30 to 17:00, last admission 16:00. Book through the operator for current prices and event exceptions. Some tower areas involve stairs.
Check the official visitor information ↗Sources and checks
- King John's Castle visitor informationVisitor access and historical context. Checked .
- Fáilte IrelandHistorical context and visitor experience. Checked .
- Kind
- Castles
- County
- County LimerickThe county boundary encloses it, taken from the OpenStreetMap administrative boundaries. It is listed on this site under Cratloe, which is the nearest settlement and is in County Clare.
- From Cratloe
- 9.8 km east, in a straight line
- Website
- kingjohnscastle.ie
The map does not yet record a phone number for King John's Castle. Anyone can add it on OpenStreetMap, and this page picks the change up at the next refresh.
Getting to King John's Castle
About these directions
Public transport times come from National Transport Authority. Timetables cover 2026-09-18 to 2027-09-19. These are scheduled services; check with the operator for cancellations and changes before travelling.
Walking and driving times are estimates. A town search starts at its centre; choose your location or a point on the map for a more precise starting point. Eircode search is not available.
How journey planning worksDestination, access and nearby stops
King John's Castle is in Cratloe, County Clare. Routes here end at the point the map records for this place. No entrance has been verified, so the last few metres are for you to judge.
The nearest scheduled stop is Thomond Bridge (606981), 180 m away in a straight line. Use the planner to check walking connections for your journey.
- Thomond Bridge 180 m
buses 303 and 302Scheduled departures from this stop
- Island Rd South 250 m
buses 305A and 964Scheduled departures from this stop
- Island Rd N 270 m
bus 305AScheduled departures from this stop
- Bridge Street 290 m
buses 301 and 305AScheduled departures from this stop
- St Ita's St South 360 m
bus 305AScheduled departures from this stop
Getting to Cratloe covers the journeys into the town itself.
Events nearby
Not at King John's Castle. These are at other venues within a few hundred metres of it.
Other castles in Cratloe
Nearest to King John's Castle first, and the figure beside each one is how far it is from King John's Castle, in a straight line. Same point, same measure.
Questions people ask
Where is King John's Castle?
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How far is King John's Castle from the centre of Cratloe?
Are there other castles near King John's Castle?
How do you get to King John's Castle without a car?
Where this comes from
- From the map
- The name, the kind of place, the address where the record carries one, and any website, phone or opening hours shown as recorded on the map are tags on OpenStreetMap a2608785, and can be corrected there.
- Worked out here
- Every distance, the nearest road where the record has no address, which car park and which stop are nearest, and the order of the lists are this site’s own calculations from those records. Distances are straight lines between two points, not walks along the footpaths, and the map will route the real walk on request. A mistake in any of this is a mistake here rather than on the map.