Irish history from ringforts to castles

Irish history is a legacy of some 5000 years of occupation from megalithic times when the Celts journeyed here from mainland Europe. Impressive burial mounds such as Newgrange or the ringforts and dolmens like those at Cragganowen are credited to these hunter gatherer tribes. Followed by successive waves of invaders such as the Vikings, Normans, English and even the Spanish. We finally achieved Independence in 1916 for 26 counties, 6 remain part of Britain. The commercial foundations of Dublin were laid by the Vikings (Dublinia) followed by the Normans who built impressive strongholds such as Trim castle where 'Braveheart' was filmed.

Other castles in Irish history range from larger fortified towers and keeps such as Bunratty Castle to smaller ones like Thoor Ballylee, former home of the poet & playwright Willaim Butler Yeats. To grand country houses which were castle-ated with fairy tale parapets and towers as was the fashion in Victorian times like Tullynally castle . These houses on vast estates were given to English landlords in return for military duty like Beaulieu in Drogheda. As a consequence a lot of these were ransacked and burned down during the 'troubles'. Others were saved and restored privately or under the auspices of the Irish Georgian society and so have survived to tell the tale, such as Birr Castle. There are hundreds of castles all over the country, many in ruins you can explore. Try hiding some 'treasure' a few coins in the walls for children to find, it will keep them amused for hours!

The 10 best castles in Ireland are....

1 Bunratty Castle, County Limerick

2 Belvedere House, County Westmeath

3 Trim Castle, County Meath

4 Tullynally Castle, County Westmeath

5 Beaulieu House, County Louth

6 Birr Castle, County Offaly

7 Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, County Galway

8 Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, County Dublin

9 Dublin Castle, Dublin

10 Malahide Castle, County Dublin

You can stay in quiet a few posh castles like Ashford, or Dromoland. Or go to a medieval banquet throughout the summer in Dunguaire, Knappogue or Bunratty. You can even rent a whole castle to yourself if you like, for a small kings ransom?

For more information on Irish history please click here.