The best castles in Ireland range from small tower houses to grand Norman keeps with massive battlemented walls. Many stand in prominent hills, or guard wild coasts.
To visit many is to immerse yourself in history, often sweeping your imagination back to more troubled times. Built to withstand sieges, rich with artwork or furnishings, these castles carry centuries of stories to make you shiver—or enchant you.
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
If you haven’t been to Blarney Castle, have you really been to Ireland? “Kissing the Blarney Stone,” said to inspire the famous Irish eloquence, has been a tradition for centuries.
The castle itself, not far from Cork, dates to 1446, when it was built by Dermot McCarthy, king of Munster. The Blarney stone is variously said to have been brought back from the Crusades, or a gift from Scotland’s Robert the Bruce.
Well, your guide will have plenty more stories to entertain you as you admire this ancient tower. Although the interior flooring is long gone, you can still see the Banqueting Hall, Dungeon, Great Hall, and various other rooms.
Read: Things to Do With Kids in Ireland
Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle
Long famous for its medieval banquet, Bunratty Castle near Cork has a history going back to at least 1250 AD. Its present structure is a 15th-century tower, once defended by the father of William Penn, founder of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
The castle is now the center of a Folk Park, and both give you a taste of life in earlier centuries. Highlights include a working blacksmith’s, while the castle’s rooms are fascinating to explore.
The grounds are also intriguing, with a typical herb garden of the medieval era. Costumed guides will explain these folk remedies and much more.
Ross Castle
Ross Castle
The ruins of Ross Castle are a landmark of the picturesque Lakes of Killarney. They must be one of the most painted, if not photographed, sights of Ireland.
A guided tour of the castle will explain its colorful history. This includes the legends around its fall to the forces of Oliver Cromwell in 1652.
The castle’s lands included a vast area that now makes up Killarney National Park. Tours of the park by boat and horse-drawn “jaunting” carts leave from the castle grounds.
Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle
This imposing medieval European castle, sitting on an island in the River Suir, inland from Waterford, is one of Ireland’s largest. Unlike many other Irish castles, which are often fortified great houses, it has all the towers, and battlements you could wish for.
The castle’s present appearance dates to 1599, although its history dates back centuries earlier. It sits in the heart of the town of Cahir in County Tipperary, and it’s no coincidence that the Irish word “cahir” means “stone fort.”
With that long history and its many rooms, there is a lot to discover on a visit. One of the best castles in Ireland as a filming location, much of it may seem familiar from film, and TV series.
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle
The lovely medieval town of Kilkenny is the quiet setting for this castle dating to 1270. Sold to the people in 1967, it’s surrounded by a popular park that makes the castle very much part of their daily life.
The central fortified great house and two wings were extensively remodeled in the Victorian era. Highlights include the Dining Room with its hand-blocked wallpaper, the Withdrawing Room with hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, and the medieval-style Picture Gallery.
Many of the rooms are filled with interesting art, among the other rich furnishings. There are also 50 acres of parkland to walk in, with a terraced rose garden, and artificial lake.
Read: Best Things to Do in Waterford
Swords Castle
Swords Castle
Another castle that may seem familiar from TV, Swords Castle was built for the Archbishops of Dublin around 1200 AD. Despite the militaristic title, the name “Swords” comes from the Irish for “pure” in reference to a holy well nearby.
The battlement-topped wall was also built mainly for privacy, rather than any military purpose, but looks great on film. The tower is the main attraction now, offering a surprisingly great view over Dublin.
The grounds are open to the public, with pretty gardens to stroll in. Try to find a local guide who can bring the long history of this quiet gem to life.
Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
Located about an hour’s drive from Waterford, the Rock of Cashel is a spectacular collection of medieval buildings set atop a massive limestone hill. Built of the same stone, the massive structures seem to emerge from the very earth.
Those buildings include a 92-ft-high Round Tower, a ruined Gothic Cathedral, and a 15th-century tower house. The whole is impossibly picturesque.
The word “cashel” is an old Irish word for “fortress”, and this was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster. Around 1101, after the Norman Invasion of Ireland, it was donated to the church and was a religious center for six centuries.
Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle
While it’s certainly among the most picturesque castles in Ireland, Malahide is best known to many Irish people as a venue for concerts. The beautiful grounds have seen stars ranging from Al Green through Neil Young, to Lana Del Rey.
Only nine miles from Dublin, the castle was the home of the Talbot family for nearly 800 years. One of the best places to visit in Ireland, its rooms are a remarkable time capsule of Irish history, art, and furnishings.
Highlights include copies of Raphael’s Vatican frescoes, the wood-paneled Oak Room, and antique Chinese hand-woven rugs. The gardens are also a spectacular delight for any plant lover and include a delightful Butterfly House.
Howth Castle
Howth Castle
Howth Castle is famous to fans of writer James Joyce for its appearance in both Finnegan’s Wake, and Ulysses.
Parts of the castle date back to the 15th century, with remodeling 500 years later by the great British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. The building has a beautiful setting near the coast, with its extensive estate grounds now hosting a golf course.
The grounds also include a Rhododendron Garden, one of the first in Ireland. The Howth Cliff Walk is also a must-do for its amazing views.
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Still a working government building, there has been a castle on this site since the Normans. It stands at the highest point in Dublin.
The grand State Apartments are open, with contents that reflect the castle’s history as the former center of English (and later British) rule in Ireland. These include paintings by artists such as Van Dyck and Gandolfi.
The original castle can still be seen despite the sprawl of later additions, but the whole remains significant for its history. The Castle Gardens are also a welcome oasis for the city’s residents and visitors.
Charleville Castle
Charleville Castle
Tullamore is famous for its whiskey but its castle is also well worth a visit. The two Gothic-style towers of Charleville Castle loom out of its amazing grounds like a fairytale.
Restored by local volunteers in a labor of love, its beautiful interior is coming back to life. Take a guided tour with one of the voluntary guides for an inside look and perspective.
They’ll tell you, for example, this is one of the most haunted castles in Europe. Built in 1812 as a mansion house, it has also become a popular filming location.
Read: Haunted Places to Visit Around the World
Birr Castle
Birr Castle
Sitting in beautiful parkland an easy day trip from Waterford, Birr Castle Demesne has been home to the Parsons family for more than 400 years. In the 1840s, they built a telescope—the world’s largest until 1917—which you can still see.
Charles Parsons was the inventor of the steam turbine, which revolutionized sea travel. The family also made major contributions to photography, engineering, and botany.
The 120-acre gardens contain thousands of trees and the world’s tallest box hedges. In short, the castle is a remarkable day out with a wonder around every corner.
Trim Castle
Trim Castle
The largest Norman castle in Ireland, Trim is now a very picturesque ruin. But its monumental three-story keep, once protected by a water-filled moat, impresses with its sheer strength.
You can see the walls’ thickness from the walkways that run through the tower to its roof. A ground-floor exhibition shows how this most beautiful Irish castle looked in three different eras.
Much of the surrounding curtain wall remains and you can stroll within the grounds. You can also appreciate its strategic importance within the historic Boyne River Valley, which you can reach on a day trip from Waterford.
Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle
This Gothic-style castle is the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire. It’s a mid-nineteenth-century remodeling of an original that was 700 years older.
The architect was Sir Joseph Paxton, the designer of London’s remarkable Crystal Palace in 1851. In the 1940s, it was the home of Adele Astaire, sister and dance partner to Fred Astaire.
While the castle is not open to the public, its gardens are, and feature many works of contemporary sculpture. The west wing also now holds a contemporary art gallery.
Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle
One of the world’s most picturesque castles, Dunluce perches dramatically on a cliff edge along the beautiful Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland, not far from Belfast. In fact, legend has it that the kitchens once fell into the sea during a wild storm.
The defensive strength of the site is obvious, even in photos. The earliest parts date to the 13th century, and it was lived in until the 1690s.
Approaching the castle along its narrow landward bridge remains an exciting experience. So is finding a safe spot along the nearby cliff tops for panoramic photos against the wild sea and sky.
Audley’s Castle
Audley’s Castle
Audley’s Castle is typical of a style of fortified house that is found in the hundreds throughout Ireland. It reflects an era when every man’s house had to be his castle.
The Audley family were Anglo-Normans who built the house in the late 16th century. A century later, it was sold to the Ward family who made it a feature of their Castle Ward estate.
The estate had several walking paths from which you can admire the castle’s scenic setting. Long a star of film, Audrey’s Castle is a continuing delight for photographers. It’s an easy drive from Belfast.
Belfast Castle
Belfast Castle
Visiting Belfast Castle is one of the best things to do in Belfast for incredible views over the city. Once you’ve taken them in, you’ll enjoy visiting the castle, its pretty gardens, and the surrounding Cave Hill Country Park.
Although a Norman fort stood here as early as the 12th century, the present handsome building dates to 1870. This Victorian mansion built by the Marquis of Donegall was given to the city of Belfast in 1934.
While the building is very photogenic, the interior has little to see other than an information center. The biggest attraction, after the views, is the garden trail with nine depictions of the castle’s lucky white cat.
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle, just inland from Belfast, is the official Northern Ireland residence of the British Monarchy. While many of the State Rooms are open to the public, the castle’s wonderful gardens will be of more interest to many visitors.
Covering 100 acres, they encompass a restored Walled Garden and a fern-filled “Lost Garden”. Produce from the garden is on the menu in the castle’s busy café.
The castle is also famous as the home of the Hillsborough Agreement, and Good Friday Agreement, both of which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland. That history is told in an imaginative exhibition in the castle.
Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
This magnificent Norman castle stands on the waterfront in the town of Carrickfergus on the north shore of Belfast Lough. Continuing in continuous military use until 1928, it’s one of the most well-preserved medieval buildings in Ireland—and one of its most “castle-like” castles.
The restored banqueting hall is a major highlight on guided tours. Life-like exhibits inside the castle show what daily life was like for its medieval garrison.
On the roof, cannons from the 17th to 19th centuries look out on the harbor. Guides will tell of events here in 1778 when John Paul Jones won a significant battle on behalf of the fledgling US Navy.
Donegal Castle
Donegal Castle
Built by one of the great Gaelic chiefs of Ireland, Red Hugh O’Donnell, this 15th-century castle stands in the heart of Donegal town. Much reworked over the centuries, it was magnificently restored in the 1990s.
Like many other castles that Ireland is known for, it is more of a fortified mansion than a traditional castle. The original massive keep now looms over an impressive Jacobean-style wing dating to the 17th century.
Highlights include a magnificent Banqueting Hall, with an ornate carved fireplace. Guides in period costumes help to bring your visit to life.
Read: Ireland Travel Tips
Malahide Castle
Has this guide to the best castles in Ireland tempted you to visit? Then browse our Ireland cruises and experience the enchanting Emerald Isle.
