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Dunguaire Castle
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Kinvara |
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Dunguaire Castle is a
16th-century tower house on the southeastern shore of
Galway
Bay, near Kinvara.
The castle's 75 foot-tower
and its defensive wall have been restored to excellent
condition, and the grounds are open to tourists during the
summer.
It is thought to be the
most-photographed castle in Ireland.
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The castle was built by the
Hynes clan in 1520, a family who may have been associated
with the area since 662, when the site is believed to have
once been the royal palace of Guaire Aidhne, the legendary
king of Connacht and progenitor of the clan. Dunguaire
Castle was transferred in the 17th century to
Oliver Martin,
(father of Richard Martin Fitz Oliver). It remained in his
family until it was purchased in the early 20th century by
the surgeon and poet Oliver St. John Gogarty. Gogarty began
restoring the castle and established it as the meeting place
for the leading figures of the Celtic Revival, such as W.B.
Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Lady Augusta Gregory and John
Millington Synge.
The castle was acquired in 1954 by Christobel Lady Ampthill,
who completed the restoration work started by Gogarty. It
was later purchased by Shannon Development. During the
summer months when Dunguaire Castle is open to the public, a
Medieval Banquet is held every night with costumed
performers who recite Irish literature and play traditional
Irish music.
See more
Castles
in County Galway |
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