Claregalway Castle - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Oranmore Castle is a castle in Oranmore, County Galway, in Ireland. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Castle of the Well played a pivotal part in the defence of Galway during the Confederate Rebellion in the 1640s. It belonged to the Clanricardes, a prominent Norman family in Galway. Galway was under the rule of the Marquess and fifth Earl Clanricarde in 1642 when the town revolted and joined the confederate forces.

Dun Aengus is over 3,000 years old prehistoric hill fort on the Aran Islands of County Galway. It was perched spectacularly on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the fort is about 900 metres from the visitor centre and offers views of up to 75 miles of Irish coastline. As much of the tour is outdoors, visitors are advised to wear weather protective clothing and shoes suitable for walking over uneven terrain.

Athenry Heritage Centre is the ideal starting point to discover the best preserved medieval town in Ireland. Its exhibits include the torture dungeon, models of the medieval town, storyboards and a replica street of medieval crafts. You can experience this history with interactive exhibits of weaponry, armour, dressing up in medieval costume and Have-A-Go Archery.

This restored 13th-century fortification was originally built by Meiler de Bermingham and is located within the heritage town of Athenry. The imposing three-storey hall-keep survives from the mid-thirteenth century. It is solidly impressive from the outside, although the interior was simply built, containing only a hall at first-floor level and dark storerooms below.

Carraigin Castle is a 13th century lakeside castle in seven acres of private parkland on a lake shore. It was surrounded by forests with rich parkland, the castle offers a variety of activities to its visitors. Boating and fishing is available close to the castle along with pleasant woodland walking, cycling and horse-riding.

Ross Errilly Friary is the largest and best preserved Franciscan Friary in Ireland. is a National Monument of Ireland and among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country. Though usually referred to by locals as "Ross Abbey," this is not technically correct as the community never had an abbot.