Enniscorthy Castle, Co.Wexford
When the Normans built a castle they built it to last. Enniscorthy Castle,
in the centre of the town and overlooking the Slaney River, proves the
point. Nearly 800 years after its construction, the huge castle is still in
remarkable condition. Though restored and modernised in recent times many
original features remain. The three drum towers which flank the castle are
classics of their kind.
Down the centuries the castle had many owners, including the poet Edmund
Spenser. It is said that he was given the castle by Elizabeth 1 of England
in gratitude for his epic 'The Faerie Queen' which said many flattering
things about her.
Nowadays, Enniscorthy Castle is the home of the County
Wexford Historical and Folk Museum which features a fascinating collection
of artifacts. One of its nicest features include the 1798 and 1916 rooms for
memorabilia of those famous uprisings.
Enniscorthy Castle, a square towered castle rebuilt about 1586, is in
perfect preservation and is now a folk museum which is open to the public.
The original castle here may have been erected by Raymond le Gros. Later it
came into the hands of the MacMurrough Kavanaghs, who granted it to the
Franciscan monastery.
After the suppression of the monasteries the castle and lands were held by a
succession of owners, including the poet Spenser. The castle was damaged by
Cromwell's guns in 1649. During the 1798 Rising it was used as a prison, and
in the nineteenth century it was restored for use as a residence.
Enniskillen Castle, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
This romantic castle sits proudly on the banks of Lough Erne, complete with an elaborate, much turreted water
gate, which was added in the 17th century. Inside the impressive three floor keep is a fine local regimental museum
as well as a colleciton of antiquities from County Fermanagh.