Craggaunowen Castle
Encyclopedia
Craggaunowen Castle, built in 1550, is a fortified tower house
located near Sixmilebridge
, County Clare
, Ireland
. It was built by John MacSioda MacNamara, a descendent of Sioda MacNamara, who built Knappogue Castle
in 1467. It stands on a crag overlooking the lake in the grounds of Craggaunowen Park
, off the N18 Limerick / Galway road, ten kilometres east of Quin, County Clare
. It was left in ruins, uninhabitable and without a roof, in the seventeenth century, and was restored by John Hunt
in the 1960s, with an extension added to the ground floor.
The name Craggaunowen comes from the Irish
name Creagán Eoghain (Eoghan's little rocky hill).
Craggaunowen was inhabited by various Irish families prior to the collapse of the Old Gaelic order, in the mid to late 17th Century. However, it was rendered uninhabitable by the removal of the roof and staircase, and indefensible by removal off the battlements, about 1653, at the time of the Cromwellian confiscations. The Tower House remained a desolate ruin until it and the estate of Cullane House across the road, were inherited by ‘Honest’ Tom Steele, a confederate of Daniel O’Connell, ‘The Liberator’.
Steele had the castle rebuilt as a summer house in the 1820s and he used it, and the turret on the hill opposite, as places of recreation. His initials can be seen on one of the quoin-stones to the right outside. Following his death the lands were divided, Cullane going to one branch of his family, Craggaunowen to the another. Eventually, having passed through the hands of many of his descendants, the castle and grounds were acquired by the old ‘Land Commission’. Much of the poor quality land was given over to forestry and the castle itself was allowed to fall into disrepair.
The castle was purchased by John Hunt in the 1960s, and restored it to its present condition. The large vaulted room was added in 1967 but it was not until the mid-seventies that work was able to commence to house his collection of artefacts. Much of Mr. Hunt's collection was instead housed in what is now the University of Limerick
from 1978 until again being re-housed in Limerick City Custom House in 1995.
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
located near Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge is a small town in County Clare, Ireland. Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the town is a short distance away from the main N18 road, being on the old "back road" between the two...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was built by John MacSioda MacNamara, a descendent of Sioda MacNamara, who built Knappogue Castle
Knappogue Castle
The Knappogue Castle & Walled Garden, built in 1467, is located in County Clare, Ireland. It was built by Seán Mac Conmara, and is a good example of a medieval tower house. It has a long and varied history, from a battlefield to a dwelling place. In 1571 the castle became the seat of the Mac...
in 1467. It stands on a crag overlooking the lake in the grounds of Craggaunowen Park
Craggaunowen
Craggaunowen - The Living Past is an archaeological open air museum in County Clare Ireland, started by John Hunt. The park, comprising a picturesque lake and idyllic woodland, is host to several examples of early historic dwelling places such as a Crannóg Craggaunowen - The Living Past is an...
, off the N18 Limerick / Galway road, ten kilometres east of Quin, County Clare
Quin, County Clare
Quin is a village in southeast County Clare in Ireland. The village's main attraction, Quin Abbey, is open to the public, and although mostly ruined, much of the structure remains. The abbey was built on the foundations of an earlier Norman castle, and the foundations of its corner towers can...
. It was left in ruins, uninhabitable and without a roof, in the seventeenth century, and was restored by John Hunt
John Hunt (antiquarian)
John Hunt was a historian, antiquarian, and collector. Together with his wife Gertrude, he amassed the collection that today forms the basis of the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland. He encouraged Lord Gort to restore Bunratty Castle. He is commemorated by a bust in the castle because of this...
in the 1960s, with an extension added to the ground floor.
The name Craggaunowen comes from the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
name Creagán Eoghain (Eoghan's little rocky hill).
Craggaunowen was inhabited by various Irish families prior to the collapse of the Old Gaelic order, in the mid to late 17th Century. However, it was rendered uninhabitable by the removal of the roof and staircase, and indefensible by removal off the battlements, about 1653, at the time of the Cromwellian confiscations. The Tower House remained a desolate ruin until it and the estate of Cullane House across the road, were inherited by ‘Honest’ Tom Steele, a confederate of Daniel O’Connell, ‘The Liberator’.
Steele had the castle rebuilt as a summer house in the 1820s and he used it, and the turret on the hill opposite, as places of recreation. His initials can be seen on one of the quoin-stones to the right outside. Following his death the lands were divided, Cullane going to one branch of his family, Craggaunowen to the another. Eventually, having passed through the hands of many of his descendants, the castle and grounds were acquired by the old ‘Land Commission’. Much of the poor quality land was given over to forestry and the castle itself was allowed to fall into disrepair.
The castle was purchased by John Hunt in the 1960s, and restored it to its present condition. The large vaulted room was added in 1967 but it was not until the mid-seventies that work was able to commence to house his collection of artefacts. Much of Mr. Hunt's collection was instead housed in what is now the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
from 1978 until again being re-housed in Limerick City Custom House in 1995.