Architecture, Castles & Towers
Journey through the tapestry of Irish history, cultural heritage and rich tradition. See Irish architecture at its finest, great Georgian buildings of the 18th century, Palladian-style houses, country manors, gothic revival houses of the Victorian era.
This is a weighty 350 page full colour hardback. It features fifty-one locations from twenty-one counties. Each location has six or seven pages packed full of beautiful photographs, with text about the history of the house, its occupants and the reason for its downfall.
Before the Industrial Revolution most wealth came from the land. Even nouveau riches Tudor lawyers and merchants liked to marry into the gentry and/or buy country estates. Land gave security, status and a stake in county affairs. So money was lavished on the country houses from which great estates were run.
Ireland was once the scene for many invasions and battles from battles with Vikings to fighting over Clan territory. Fortifications, round towers and Castles would prove to be an essential part for family clans to protect their land from battling enemies. Fortifications in Ireland date back over 2,000 years that had probably been built to protect against attacks from other Irish clans, some of these ancient fortifications can still be found standing today.
Early stone fortifications, castles, towers, and strong-houses, separated and arranged by county name.
"On our first trip to Ireland, we saw our first round tower at Turlough, just outside of Castlebar in County Mayo. Standing proud on the top of a cemetery ridge, it was visible for quite some distance. That it had survived for well over 800 years was incredible to me." Thoroughly researched webpage.
The ancient architecture that is most specific to Ireland is the round tower. In no other part of the world does one find a similar construction. Round towers were first mentioned c.950, when a round tower burned down. They were on average between 60ft and 130ft high and the main door was located 7-13ft above ground level. Round towers were not built for a single purpose.
The Megalithic Passage Tombs of Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Fourknocks, Loughcrew and Tara are located in the present day County of Meath on the east coast of Ireland. The Boyne Valley Mounds at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built around 3200BC making them older than Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Newgrange was constructed over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.), making it older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Newgrange was built during the Neolithic or New Stone Age by a farming community that prospered on the rich lands of the Boyne Valley. Knowth and Dowth are similar mounds that together with Newgrange have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
2008 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Irish architect who designed the original White House. James Hoban was an Irishman, born in Kilkenny. George Washington chose the Irishman in 1792 when it came time to build the White House.
Industrial Heritage Ireland is devoted to the subject of Industrial Heritage on the island of Ireland and its offshore islands.
High Crosses or Celtic Crosses as they are also known, are found throughout Ireland on old monastic sites. Along with the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow, these High Crosses are Ireland's biggest contribution to Western European Art of the Middle Ages. Some were probably used as meeting points for religious ceremonies and others were used to mark boundaries.
The story of the Irish Winegeese is fascinating. Their roots lie in the flight of the "Wild Geese", the soldiers who fled from Ireland to France after the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. During the 18th and 19th centuries many thousands followed these soldiers for political and economic reasons. Sometimes they travelled on the French ships that smuggled wine into the west coast of Ireland, described on the ships' manifests as "wild geese", evoking the lonely calls of birds travelling winter skies.
The Irish Architectural Archive was established in 1976 to collect and preserve material of every kind relating to the architecture of the entire island of Ireland, and make it available to the public. As a cumulative body of material the holdings of the Archive represent the greatest single source of information on Ireland's buildings and those who designed them. The Archive is located at 45 Merrion Square and is open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.
The Irish Georgian Society is a membership organisation whose purpose is to promote awareness and the protection of Ireland's architectural heritage and decorative arts.The Society was founded in 1958 by the Hon. Desmond Guinness and his late wife Mariga and since that time many buildings of significant architectural merit have been saved through their work and the work of members and supporters. The current President of the Society is Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin.
Archiseek.com was originally Archeire.com and was started in 1997 (after an earlier small site on Dublin) and the site has continuously grown from there. The site is aimed at both the general public and the architecture community. "I want to encourage the average person to enter into the architectural debate, not to be afraid of architecture-speak and terminology. Your view is as valid as the head of any architecture body."
The Architectural Association of Ireland was founded in 1896 'to promote and afford facilities for the study of architecture and the allied sciences and arts, and to provide a medium of friendly communication between members and others interested in the progress of architecture'.
The story of Tynte's Castle. Tynte's Castle is a late fifteenth Century urban tower house. It is the only remaining example of several urban tower houses that were formally to be found in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland. It has always been the intention of the McCarthy Family to restore the building to its former glory. Interest was shown in the building by University College Cork relating to the Cork Survey. The BBC requested permission to use it in their Open University Educational Programming; Youghal becoming a Heritage town, the recognition of listed buildings in the town and the reconstruction of the Alms Houses across the street.
Scattered with a seeming randomness across the rolling hills of Ireland are the remains of sixty-five round towers. Soaring as high as 34 meters above the ground, the towers are in remarkably fine condition considering the antiquity of their construction.
To the casual observer, the small, picturesque Observatory at Armagh looks not dissimilar to many other country houses in Ireland of the late 18th century. It has a square, rather sparsely ornamented Georgian residence connected by a low wing to an eastern tower. However, on closer inspection, one becomes aware of a building with a number of rare, if not unique, features and one that tells us not only something of its architect, Francis Johnston, but also something of the history of astronomy over the past two hundred years. To understand and appreciate its architectural features it is necessary to know something of the types of building constructed for making astronomical observations in the 18th century in other parts of Europe.
The Society of Architectural Historians was founded in 1940 to advance knowledge and understanding of the history of architecture, design, landscape, and urbanism worldwide. The Society serves scholars, professionals in allied fields (including architecture, historic preservation and planning), and the interested general public.
Prof. Kevin B. Nowlan, vice-President of the IGS, and Dr. Edward McParland together announced at a ceremony in the Irish Architectural Archive that Russborough, Co. Wicklow was the winner of the Irish Georgian Society’s 2011 Architectural Conservation Award. Intended to promote greater appreciation of Ireland’s built heritage and the conservation work of its architects, the award was accepted on behalf of the Alfred Beit Foundation, owners of Ireland’s finest Palladian house, by Conseulo O’Connor and by architect James Howley.
The Irish Eco-Cottage (Tourism Development) Project aims to create a new, branded, and uniquely Irish product, the EcoBooley Self Catering Cottage. Rural Ireland contains countless numbers of abandoned homesteads, all charming and important in their own way, and often located in remote and beautiful parts of the rural landscape. Such homesteads often have difficulty of access and are usually not serviced by mains water and electricity supply. Rather than seeing the problems - of developing such properties as tourism outlets - this project believes that they may present great possibilities as 'Eco-Tourism' accommodation outlets.
The IHBC is the principal professional body for building conservation practitioners and historic environment specialists working in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with connections to the Republic of Ireland.
The industry's leading website since 1998, BuildingConservation.com includes over 1,500 companies and organisations covering every aspect of the conservation, restoration and repair of the historic built environment.
An understanding of traditional processes is essential for the conservation and repair old stone buildings and walls. In most cases traditional materials and methods are more sympathetic and appropriate for conservation and repair than modern ones. These old ways are neither difficult or mysterious. They can be learnt. Traditional ways of working with stone and lime nearly became extinct in the latter half of the 20th century. Problems developed when some modern materials were applied to old buildings indiscriminately. There is a need to maintain traditional ways in order to repair old buildings. They are a direct physical and cultural link to the past and a source of learning and enjoyment.
Antrim Glens Cottages is the community business of North Antrim Community Network the business has been operational since 1995. The project was supported by LEADER I, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Rural Development Council and the International Fund for Ireland. Nine derelict properties were leased in the Glens of Antrim with the aim of renovating them into self-catering accommodation. Owners were able to lease their properties to the Company for 20 years.
The Protestant Church of St. Mary’s in Thurles is the site of the official Pre-Reformation Church of Thurles. The original structure was built by the Normans, in the 12th century, to provide them with a separate and more exclusive place of worship. Some time after the erection of St. Mary’s church, it, together with the native church and those of Rahealty, Shyan and Athnid were given into the custody of the Abbot of Abbington, head of the Cistercian monastery which had been founded by Theobald Butler. The Abbot became the Rector of these churches. He also received the associated glebelands and tithe revenues. As was the practice, the Abbot paid a vicar or vicars, appointed by the Archbishop of Cashel, to perform the spiritual duties of these local churches.
The oldest operational lighthouse in Ireland and the British Isles is at Hook Head. The tower, with additions and modifications, dates from the Norman times, 12th century, and is reputed to be built on the site where the monks of St. Dubhan established a fire beacon in the 5th century.
Welcome to the website of Kilkenny Castle. We hope you find your visit here informative and interesting. Should you have any queries on any aspect of this site or Kilkenny Castle please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you on your next visit to the Castle.
Archiseek is an online magazine dedicated to, but not exclusively, Irish architecture. Featuring news from Irish architecture, encouraging discussion between architects and those interested in our build environment, Archiseek is the leading Irish architecture publication.
Aras an Uachtarain had a colourful history before becoming the Official Residence of the President of Ireland. Built in 1751 Situated in the 1,752 acres of the Phoenix Park near Dublin, the original house was built by Park Ranger Nathaniel Clements.
A spectacular group of Medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century Castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars Choral.
Including dolmens, court and passage tombs, crannogs stone forts, and standing stones and stone circles.
Megalithomania is a site originally dedicated to Irish megaliths, but now expanded to include all sorts of antiquities that are of importance/interest.
Below is an illustrated index of the sacred sites and religious places in Ireland profiled so far on Sacred Destinations, listed in alphabetical order by name.
The gardens at Birr are arguably the greatest gardens in the Republic of Ireland and well known internationally.
Committed to enhancing the scholarly and public understanding of Irish historic houses and estates through education, research and publication.
The Most Charitable City In The World”, is an expression often heard applied to the City of Dublin and certainly the expression appears to be deserved, for on all sides charities abound for the needs of the truly deserving.
Ballyragget Castle, also known as Butler Castle, is a ruined square tower house. It has defensive wall with corner towers. It is named after the Norman, Richard Le Ragget, who owned the land in the 13th century.
Bunratty Castle is a large fortress built in 1425 and restored in 1954.
"When I was down in Cork for the ACE, Irish Genealogy Summer School 2014, University College Cork we were out in Youghal visiting St. Mary’s Collegiate Church and graveyard and of course when we were there, I had to take a photo of Tynte’s Castle."
This website is the result of on-going love and passion for Archaeology as well as our devotion to the wonderment of the many Megalithic monuments throughout Ireland. All counties of Ireland are covered, some more extensively than others, and include photos, information & co-ordinates of sites. Continuously being up-dated with some fantastic photos of these extraordinary monuments, which have stood proudly today as a durable testament to their ingenious builders.