O'Dea Castle is an Irish

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...

 fortified tower house

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...

, loosely described as a castle, at Dysert O'Dea , the former O'Dea clan stronghold, 5 km from Corofin, 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...

 just off the R476 road

R476 road

The R476 road is a regional road in central County Clare, Ireland. The route connects the towns of Ennis and Lisdoonvarna, and links the N85 road with the N67 road...

.

It was built between 1470 and 1490 by Diarmaid O'Dea, Lord of Cineal Fearmaic, and stands some 50 feet high on a limestone outcrop base measuring 20 feet by 40 feet.

Clare Archaeology Centre

The castle is home to the Clare Archaeology Centre, with exhibits of area archaeological artefacts from 1000 BC to 1700 AD, local history over the last three centuries, and a wall walk of parts of the castle.

The Dysert O’Dea Archeology Trail includes sites around the castle, including the remains of the Dysert O'Dea Monastery.

History

The Battle of Dysert O'Dea

Battle of Dysert O'Dea

The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Deághaidh, chief of the Cineal Fearmaic and ally of Muirchertach Ó Briain, but he...

, which drove the Anglo-Norman

Anglo-Norman

The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...

s from the region for over 200 years, took place at this site on 10 May 1318.

In 1968, John B. O'Day of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA, while touring Ireland, discovered Dysert O'Dea Castle was for sale. He also knew that he was a direct descendant of the builder. Between 1971 and 1983, he purchased and commenced with repairs to protect what remained of the castle. Dysert O'Dea has become one of the most visited sites in Clare and continues to be a site of valuable archaeological investigation. It has also won the "Clare Tourism Award" for being one of the most authentically rebuilt castles in Ireland.
Site description from Irish Tourist Board:

See also

• Tower houses in Britain and Ireland
• O'Dea clan
• Dysert O'Dea Monastery
• Battle of Dysert O'Dea
  Battle of Dysert O'Dea
  The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Deághaidh, chief of the Cineal Fearmaic and ally of Muirchertach Ó Briain, but he...
  
  

External links

• Clare Archaeology Centre - official site
• O'Dea Clan Site
• O'Dea Castle entry in Placenames Database of Ireland

Further reading

• O'Dea: Ua Deághaidh: The Story of a Rebel Clan, by Risteárd Ua Cróinín (Richard Cronin), Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, Ireland, 1992. ISBN 0946538077.
• Irish Battles - A Military History of Ireland, by G.A. Hayes-McCoy
  Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy
  Gerard A. Hayes-McCoy was an Irish historian born in Galway. He attended University College Galway and served as auditor of the College's Literary and Debating Society in the 1931/1932 academic year...
  
  , Appletree Press, 1990, ISBN 086281250X