Aughnanure Castle
Aughnanure Castle (Caisleán Achadh na nlubhar in Irish) is a tower house in Oughterard, County Galway, Ireland. It is situated in the west of Ireland. It was built by the O' Flaherty's in the 16th century.
Aughnanure Castle | |
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Caisleán Achadh na nlubhar | |
County Galway, Connacht Near Oughterard in Ireland | |
Aughnanure Castle Location in Ireland | |
Coordinates | 53°25′04″N 9°16′16″W |
Type | Tower house |
Site information | |
Owner | OPW |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Fully restored |
Website | https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/aughnanure-castle/ |
Site history | |
Built | 16th Century |
Built by | O'Flaherty |
In use | 17th Century |
Fate | Fell to ruin |
Battles/wars | Siege of Galway |
Official name | Aughanure Castle |
Reference no. | 470[1] |
History
The castle was built by the O'Flaherty family in the 16th century, one of Connacht's most notable lord families. Aughnanure is one of over 200 tower houses in County Galway, constructed mainly by Gaelic and Anglo-Norman land owning families. The tower lies close to the shores of Lough Corrib, and translates to "the field of the yews" in Irish (Achadh na nlubhar).[2]
The castle was controlled by the O'Flaherty chieftains until 1572, when it was captured by Sir Edward Fitton, President of Connaught, and granted to a junior member of the clan who accepted the legal formalities of recognizing "the Crown." It was used to blockade Galway during the Cromwellian invasion. Soon after, it was granted to the Earl of Clanrickard, and then reclaimed by the O'Flahertys. It later fell into the hands of Lord St George as the foreclosure of a mortgage.[3] It is now managed by the Office of Public Works, the Irish State body responsible for national monuments and historic properties.
References
- "National Monuments of County Galway in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- SiteCaddy (2 February 2010). "Aughnanure Castle". Oughterard Tourism. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- Profile, IrelandsEye.com; retrieved 25 February 2007.