Galway Area Castles

For those staying in Galway on Day 8, a visit to a nearby castle would be a great way to spend your day.  Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way has numerous castles and castle ruins to explore amid the breathtaking scenery of the countryside.  County Galway alone has more than its fair share of castles, and you’ll find still more in the neighboring counties of Clare, Mayo and Roscommon.

County Galway Castles:

1.  Less than an hour from Galway by bus, Dunguaire Castle is a 16^th century tower house on the shores of Galway Bay.  If you reserve ahead, you can even attend a banquet at the castle.

2.  Clifden Castle is a castle ruin near the seaside town of Clifden (about a 40 minute, 3 km walk from town if you enjoy walking & hiking).  While in Clifden, be sure to enjoy some traditional Irish music and wonderful Irish food.  You can visit Clifden’s two churches, St Joseph’s Catholic Church and Christ Church of Ireland, whose spires rise up from the town.  The Connemara Heritage and History Centre is also only a few minutes away by car or taxi.  This beautiful coastal town is about an hour and a half from Galway by bus.

3.  Aughnanure Castle is a well preserved tower fortress.  The castle’s highlights include a watchtower visitors can climb.

4.  Claregalway Castle, about twenty minutes from Galway by bus, a restored Anglo-Norman tower dating from the 15^th century.  Steeped in local history, the castle was the site of a medieval battle.

5.  Also very near Galway, Menlo Castle can be reached in half an hour by bus or in about 40 minutes walking.  This castle ruin is a bit over 3 km from Galway with a nice walk through Corrib Village.  While taking this route will not get you to the castle itself, it does give you a good view of it from across the river, and the vantage point is near the National University of Ireland, Galway.  A Corrib River cruise will also take you past the castle.

6.  Only a half hour from Galway by bus, Athenry Castle is a tower house on the banks of the River Clarin.  Athenry is among the surviving medieval walled towns in Ireland, and the castle dates from the 13^th century with additions in the 15^th century.

7. Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monatery founded in 1920, but the castle was originally an impressive 19^th century estate.  The grounds include a lovely lake, Victorian walled gardens and a neo-Gothic church.  Tours and day trips to Kylemore Abbey and the beautiful Connemara region are plentiful from Galway and well worth it.

8.  Lough Cutra Castle was built in the 19^th century as a manor house featuring a series of towers.  The castle is an hour and a half to the south of Galway by bus.

County Clare Castles (to the south):

1.  A bit of a longer bus ride away (a little over two hours) is Doonagore Castle near Doolin.  The castle is a round tower house with a walled enclosure.  Doolin itself is a favorite village along the Wild Atlantic Way.  Known for its traditional Irish music and dramatic landscape, this small town is a wonderful day trip spot.  If you like to hike and plan to make a day of hiking and castle exploring, Ballinalacken Castle is a castle ruin 6.5 km from Doonagore Castle.

2.  Leamaneh Castle can be reached by bus going from Galway to Ennis and then to the Castle, or from Galway to Doolin and then to the castle.  The castle ruins were once a stronghold for the O’Brien family.

3.  O’Dea Castle and Archaeology Centre is not easily accessible by bus from Galway, but can reached by taking a bus from Galway to Ennis and then a taxi or other hired transport the 14 minutes (11.6 km) from Ennis to the castle.  Nearby church ruins and the beautiful countryside add to the appeal of this site.

4.  Also accessible from Ennis is Craggaunowen.  This medieval castle and open-air museum offer visitors a chance to step back in time with their Living Past Experience.

County Mayo Castles (to the north):

1.  The most famous of County Mayo castles, and one of the most famous Irish castles, is Ashford Castle.  Just a little over an hour from Galway by bus, you can enjoy the magnificent grounds, Ireland’s School of Falconry, Ashford Equestrian Centre, a tea shop & bakery, and a thatched cottage cafe.  Although now used as a luxury hotel, the castle and its grounds are still open to the public.  Then take some time to tour the village of Cong, with attractions including the Quiet Man Museum and abbey ruins.

2.  If you’re up for a long day and a scenic bus ride traveling through County Galway and County Mayo, Belleek Castle offers history buffs a unique find as its Armada Bar was built with wood from the wreck of a Spanish Armada ship.  Taking the bus from Galway to Belleek Castle is a four hour trek through some of Ireland’s most picturesque country side.  You can expect your journey to take you past 2 lakes, Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, and through countless quaint towns, including Westport and Castlebar.  Hiring a local guide may be a better option for seeing Belleek Castle and other sites in County Mayo, as the castle is less than two hours from Galway by car.

County Roscommon Castles (to the east):

1.  Many of the castles in County Roscommon would be too far from Galway for a day trip, but Roscommon Castle is about two hours from Galway by bus.  The Norman castle was built in the 13^th century and is a short walk (about 15 minutes) from the town of Roscommon. 

2.  Moyvannan Castle, about two to two and a half hours from Galway by bus, takes you on another jaunt into the interior of Ireland through Athlone and near Lough Ree.  Built as a manor house in the 19^th century, the castle is near the town of Athlone in County Westmeath, which has its own medieval castle.  Athlone Castle was built in the 12^th century and is now a popular tourist site.

Dublin Area Castles

We’ll see Dublin Castle on Day 2 of our tour, but if you’re looking for some other local castles to visit during free time on Day 2 and Day 3, the Dublin area has many to choose from.  With two free afternoons in Dublin, a half-day trip to a nearby castle is quite possible.

To the North:

1.  Less than an hour from the city center by bus, Malahide Castle boasts an impressive art collection.  The gardens are also quite impressive on the 260 acre estate and parkland.

2.  The fishing village of Howth boasts two lighthouses and also a castle.  Howth Castle is only open for guided tours in the summer and is still used as a private residence.  While the interior of the castle is only accessible by guided tour, you can still enjoy much of the grounds and a nice view of the castle if you happen to be visiting Howth.

3.  Slane Castle on the banks of the River Boyne is less than an hour by car from Dublin (though longer by bus) and has guided tours of both the castle and of their distillery. 

4.  If you’re willing to try to venture a bit further from town one afternoon, Trim Castle is less than an hour and a half northwest of Dublin by bus.  This 12^th century castle is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland and was used during the filming of the movie Braveheart.

5.  About a half hour north by car (though longer by bus), Ardgillan Castle has gardens and sea views plus period antiques to enjoy during guided tours.

6.  There is frequent bus service from Dublin to Swords Castle, which was originally built as the residence of the first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin.  The castle dates from the beginning of the 13^th century and is open to visitors.

Other nearby castles and castle ruins include Dunsoghly Castle and Dunmoe Castle near Navan.

To the South:

1.  If you’re headed to the village of Dalkey for an afternoon, the main tourist attraction in town is Dalkey Castle and Heritage Center, which offers tours and theater performances.  Originally called Goat Castle, Dalkey Castle was recently restored.

2.  Drimnagh Castle is the only remaining castle in Ireland surrounded by a flooded moat.  The castle is open to tours during the week.

3.  Rathfarnham Castle is an Elizabethan fortified house with 4 flanker towers.  Along with a collection of portraits, the castle also has a collection of 18^th and 19^th century costumes and toys. 

4.  Not technically a castle but a manor house, Powerscourt Estate has beautiful gardens, an impressive fountain and even a waterfall on its grounds.  In fact, Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland’s highest waterfall.