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Dunmore Castle

Coordinates: 53°37′26″N 8°45′20″W / 53.623756°N 8.755581°W / 53.623756; -8.755581
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Dunmore Castle
Native name
Caisleán an Dúin Mhóir (Irish)
Typekeep (donjon)
LocationCastlefarm, Dunmore,
County Galway, Ireland
Coordinates53°37′26″N 8°45′20″W / 53.623756°N 8.755581°W / 53.623756; -8.755581
Built14th–16th century
OwnerState
Official nameDunmore Castle
Reference no.248
Dunmore Castle is located in Ireland
Dunmore Castle
Location of Dunmore Castle in Ireland

Dunmore Castle is a castle and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.[1][2][3]

Location

Dunmore Castle is located 1 km (0.62 mi) northwest of Dunmore, County Galway, on the north bank of the Sinking River.[4]

History

The castle photographed c. 1910, with local people at lower left

Tradition states that Dunmore (Irish dún mór, "great hillfort") was a lesser residence of the ancient Kings of Connacht.[5]

The first castle at Dunmore was built by De Birmingham family in the early 13th century as a bulwark against Gaelic Irish attacks.[citation needed]

In 1249 Dunmore was attacked and burned by the Ó Conchubhair (O'Conors). In 1284 it was besieged by the Síol Maelruain under Fiachra O'Flynn.[citation needed]

In 1315 the castle was damaged by Rory O'Conor during the Bruce campaign in Ireland.[citation needed]

Most of the present structure dates from the early 14th century, i.e. the reigns of Edward II and III as Lords of Ireland: it was a two-storey hall keep. Dunmore Castle was modified in the 16th century, with extra floors, roof gables, chimneys, windows and a ground floor entrance.[citation needed]

The de Berminghams rebelled against Queen Elizabeth I and the castle was taken from them in 1569 by Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland, although it was later returned.[6]

The castle was seized from the de Berminghams permanently in the Cromwellian era (1650s).[7] It was occupied by the Ouseley family (including the famous preacher Gideon Ouseley) until the 19th century.[8][9][10]

A lime kiln was built on the site in the 19th century. The castle is at present under the protection of the Office of Public Works.

Description

The castle is a rectangular five-storey keep measuring 14 m × 8.2 m (46 ft × 27 ft) at base with a large base-batter.

There is evidence for a garderobe at the northwest. The windows include an oculus, mullions and arrowslits. Some of the curtain wall survives.[11]

References

  1. ^ Sweetman, David (10 February 1999). "Medieval Castles of Ireland". Collins Press – via Google Books.
  2. ^ McNeill, T. E. (18 August 2005). "Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World". Routledge – via Google Books.
  3. ^ (M.A.), Gerard P. Moran (10 February 1996). "Galway: History and Society". Geography Publications – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Dunmore Castle". historicsitesofireland.blogspot.ie.
  5. ^ Spellissy, Sean (1 January 1999). "The history of Galway". Celtic Bookshop – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Old Dunmore". www.askaboutireland.ie.
  7. ^ "Dunmore Castle Dunmore County Galway Ireland". dunmore.galway-ireland.ie.
  8. ^ "Dunmore Castle". landedestates.nuigalway.ie.
  9. ^ "Ouseley". landedestates.nuigalway.ie.
  10. ^ Harbison, Peter (10 February 2018). "'Our Treasure of Antiquities': Beranger and Bigari's Antiquarian Sketching Tour of Connacht in 1779 : Based on Material in the National Library of Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy". Wordwell – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Dunmore Castle, Co. Galway - Irish Archaeology". irisharchaeology.ie.