castles historical roscommon

Shortly after the Norman invasion, Ballintober became the chief seat of the O'Conors of Connacht, but the castle was probably not built till around 1300. The castle is nearly square in plan, with an open courtyard in the centre and a strong polygonal tower at each corner. In the east wall there are two projecting turrets which guarded the entrance.

The whole castle was surrounded by a water-filled moat. The castle was taken by another branch of the O'Conors in 1315, and was besieged...

Although the Normans had used this peninsula as early as 1201, it was not until 1227 that Geoffrey de Marisco first fortified it. In 1251 the Justiciar was ordered to levy tolls for the purpose of enclosing the vill or town, and repairing the castle. Between 1273 and 1279 large sums were spent on repairing the castle, and between 1299 and 1302 the Sheriff allowed £113 for the construction of a new hall.

About half a mile from the end of the peninsula, a wall, with a fortified gateway...

The Castle:
this Norman castle was built by Robert de Ufford, Lord Justice of Ireland, in 1269. But it passed into Irish hands seven years later when it was taken by Hugh O'Conor, King of Connacht. It was restored in 1280. The O'Kellys gained possession of the castle in 1308 when Donogh O'Kelly slaughtered many of the inhabitants. But the O'Conors took it again in 1341. Taken by the Earl of Kildare on an expedition to Connacht in 1499, it was granted to Mac William Bourke in 154...

Roscommon Castle to the north of the town was built by the Normans in 1269 and four years later was captured by the Irish and raised to the ground, to be rebuilt in 1280.

In the spacious main street is the beautiful renovated Bank of Ireland which was once the courthouse and afterwards served as the Catholic church until 1903....

Dunamon Castle stands on raised ground overlooking the River Suck and is still inhabited. The site is referred to in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1154 as the seat of the O'Finaghtys, who owned all the land for miles around. The castle passed into the hands of the Burkes and in 1656 was bought by Robert King of Rickingham, one of Cromwell's henchmen, for £133.

In 1668 King's son, Lord Kingston, leased the castle to Thomas Caulfield and among the most colourful of the Caulfields was...

A road on the left at Lecarrow leads to a pleasant lakeside amenity area beyond which is the castle standing on a promontory projecting into the lake.

This was built in 1214 but, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, an earlier fortification was built there in 1156. For a time this castle was in the hands of the Knights Hospitallers and is sometimes called St. John's Castle; it is an example of medieval military architecture....

Comprising some 350 hectares of mixed woodland, a lake and a number of islands, Lough Key constitutes one of the most extensive and picturesque landscaped caravan and camping park, nature walks, a bog garden, observation tower, ice house, wishing chair and underground tunnels.
The park was formerly part of the Rockingham estate and there is a wealth of historical and archaeological points of interest, principally the ruins of a McDermott castle and two medieval priorities, one on Trinit...