20 Attractions to Explore Near Castle Desmond

Glenquin Castle is a tower house and National Monument located in County Limerick, Ireland.This castle was a fortified dwelling, for the protection against raids and invaders, more correctly described as a Tower House. It is one of the finest tower houses to survive from the 16th century and is open to the public during the summer months.

Springfield Castle, Broadford, is situated in the west part of County Limerick, Ireland, close to the town of Newcastlewest. The castle is a group of buildings around a courtyard, comprising two stone keeps, or towers; one 15th-century, one 18th-century, a range of workshops and stables and the modernised remains of an 18th-century servants' wing.

Desmond Castle in Kinsale dates from around 1500. It is a classic urban tower house, consisting of a three-storey keep with storehouses to the rear.It served as a prison in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Because it usually held French inmates, as well as Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch and Americans, it became known locally as the French Prison and carries that name to this day.

Glin Castle is a unique & historical property offering wonderful comfort within breath-taking surroundings. It is the ancestral home of the Knights of Glin and still the family home of the FitzGeralds. The original ruined Glin Castle, besieged in 1601, lies nearby in the village of Glin.

Curraghchase is a 774-acre forest park located in County Limerick. There are over 300 hectares of rolling parkland, trails, mixed woodland, lakes and an arboretum here. There are a number of looped way marked trails in the park to suit all visitors. They vary from the multi-access trails suitable for wheelchair users and family walkers to the longer Curragh and Glenisca trails suitable for those looking for more demanding walking and cycling options.

A beautiful park situated in the picturesque village of Adare. Adare Park consists of beautiful walks and pathways. The park is very well maintained with trimmed green spaces and colourful flower beds dotted all around. One feature of the park is the lovely thatched gazebo, which plays a part in village events and is a popular photographic background for the many weddings that take place in Adare all year round.

Adare Heritage Centre offers an exciting range of facilities for every visitor. Learn about the history of the picturesque heritage town of Adare in County Limerick at the Adare Heritage Centre.Step back in time and take a journey through the Historical Exhibition, a reconstruction of Adare’s unique past from the arrival of the Normans to the ancient Abbeys of the Middle Ages.

Holy Trinity Abbey Church is now the Roman Catholic parish church in the centre of the picturesque nineteenth-century estate village of Adare. The foundation date of Trinitarian order at Adare is unknown. The church underwent considerable restoration in the nineteenth century which incorporated remains of the medieval church including the nave, chancel and tower.

The Adare Friary, located in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland, formerly known as the "Black Abbey", is an Augustinian Friary founded in 1316 by the Earl of Kildare. It is now known as "St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland" parish church, and St Nicholas' National School. Many of the features of the friary are very well preserved, particularly the small 15th century cloister and sedilia.

The Desmond Castle is located on the edge of the village of Adare, just off the N21 on the main Limerick to Kerry road. The castle was erected with an ancient ring-fort around the early part of the 13th century. It became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years. It was the property of the Earls of Kildare for nearly 300 years until the rebellion in 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond who gave the castle its present name.

Shore Island is situated on the Shannon Estuary between Limerick and Clare. The distance from Clare shore is approximately 0.5 mile or 10 minutes away by a small boat. Its is approximately 3.5 miles West of Shannon Airport by boat. The island is presently used for the grazing of cattle on an all-year round basis. There are a number of old ruins on the Island, which could be helpful for Planning Permission purposes to construct a habitable dwelling.

Listowel Castle, located near the town of Listowel, County Kerry in Ireland, was built in the 15th century. It was the last bastion against Queen Elizabeth I in the First Desmond Rebellion, and was the last fortress of the Geraldines to be subdued. The castle is a noted example of Anglo-Norman architecture in County Kerry, and has been the subject of several restoration projects. It is now protected as a national monument, and is open to the public for tours on a daily basis.

The Lartigue Monorail system was developed by the French engineer Charles Lartigue. line 17 km long was built in 1895 between Feurs and Panissières, in the French département of Loire. However the Lartigue system as built was not truly a monorail, since it was necessary to add two further rails, one on each side, lower down the A frames.

It is a large 15th-century tower house in County Clare, Ireland. The spot on which this castle stands has been occupied for over 1000 years. From the Vikings to the Normans, great Irish Earls and noble Lords and Ladies. The castle and the adjoining folk park are run by Shannon Heritage as tourist attractions.

This is a a 13th-century castle located on King's Island in Limerick, Ireland. The Castle was built between 1200 and 1210. It was repaired and extended many times over the following centuries. King John’s Castle remains a most impressive Anglo-Norman fortification. It retains many of the pioneering features which made its construction unique for its day. Its massive gatehouse, battlements and corner towers await exploration!

Kanturk Castle is an impressive ruined mansion located about 1.5km from the market town of Kanturk in County Cork. The castle is a rectangular four storey high Tudor-style mansion made from limestone rubble from a nearby quarry. This fortified house was built in c. 1601 for MacDonogh McCarthy as a defence against English settlers during the Plantation of Ireland.

Crag Cave is a cave in Ireland, located just outside Castleisland, County Kerry.Formed in elevated limestone rock, the system extends to 3.8 kilometres of surveyed passage, on two levels. It is a colourful wonderland of Stalagmites and Stalactites. Discovered by cave divers in 1983, the natural, all weather tourist attraction has dramatic sound and lighting effects. It is the 7th-longest cave system in the Republic of Ireland, and the 10th-longest in the whole of Ireland.

Ballygrennan Castle is a large tower-house set within the remains of a bawn. It consists of a tower house within bawn walls and it is a listed national monument. The castle is described by Westropp as a late 16th-century house, with extensive outbuilding and a court with an outer gate. There are remains of a number of later buildings with chimneys. The tower-house has two square bartizans at opposite corners.

Lough Gur is located in the South East of Ireland within the Ballyhoura region. Visitors enjoy the rural unspoilt beauty that is easily accessible 21km’s from Limerick City. The largest stone is Rannach Chruim Duibh and is over 4m high and weighs 40 tonnes. The entrance of the circle is aligned with the rising sun at the Summer Solstice.A short distance to the north-north east of the main stone circle, is a second smaller circle, also constructed of large stones.

Inis Cathaigh is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland. It lies off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. Most of the island is now owned by the Office of Public Works, who run a small visitor centre and carry out repairs and maintenance on the island; it was bought by Dúchas in 1991. The island is domestic to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery, an Irish spherical tower and the stays of an artillery battery.