397 Old Ruins to Explore in Ireland

Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills was one of three Royal gunpowder mills that manufactured gunpowder for the British Government. Located in Ballincollig near Cork city in Ireland, the powder mills were originally opened in 1794 as a private enterprise, before being taken over by the British Government during the Napoleonic Wars. Though ruined, many of the remaining structures of the mill site are afforded National Monument status.

A heritage site and a powerful symbol of the medieval history of Ballintubber and surrounding areas. This large "keepless" fortress is often claimed to be the only surviving early medieval castle of an Irish ruler. It was built in the 1290s and has a roughly square plan, with enormous asymmetrical polygonal corner towers and a gateway in the eastern curtain, flanked by comparatively small projecting turrets.

Ballintubber Abbey is an important sacred Irish historical site which celebrated its 800th year anniversary. It is the only church in Ireland still in daily use that was founded by an Irish king. The abbey has several modern outdoor attractions, including a very modern abstract Way of the Cross, an underground permanent Crib, and a Rosary Way. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area and also attracts many tourists.

One of the most hidden of castles that dot the landscape of Ireland, right close to my aunt's house in Ballyadams, and seat to The O'Mores. According to Keating, the O'Mores have St. Fintan as their protector. Of thirteen families of Moore recorded in Burke's Landed Gentry.

Ballycowan Castle is a castle located 4 km west of Tullamore, Co. Offaly. It was built in 1589 as a fortified house by Thomas Morres.The castle was built on the previous site of the O’Molloy castle or tower house called Baile-mhic-Abhainn which was destroyed by a fire in 1557.

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.

Ballyhack Castle is located on a steep slope in a commanding position overlooking Waterford estuary in Ballyhack. It is a large tower house, thought to have been built c. 1450. The tower is five stories tall and the walls survive complete to the wall walk. Built into the north-east wall of the second floor is a small chapel complete with a piscina, aumbry and altar.

Ballyloughan Castle was probably built in the 13th century and consisted of a large open courtyard with a curtain wall and a moat outside. Only a small square tower at one corner survives, as well as the entrance gate, flanked by two large rounded towers. The tower in the north-eastern corner was abandoned in the 14th century, and the whole castle may even have been abandoned at this time.

Ballymoon Castle is a National Monument situated 2 miles east of Muine Bheag, County Carlow, Ireland. The castle is thought to date from the 13th century. It comprises a courtyard about 80 feet square, surrounded by granite walls, 8 feet thick and 20 feet high. Square towers project from three sides while a formidable gatehouse is the feature of the fourth.

A late 13th or early 14th Century enclosure castle. One of the strongest castles in Connaught and today it remains as an impressive ruin on the edge of Ballymote village. It is the last of the Norman castles in Connacht. It was probably built in order to protect the newly won possessions of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. Its main feature of this impressive fortification is the large gate building – a rectangular structure with projection 1/2 round towers at each side of the entrance.

A very large circle of over 50 stones up to 1.8 metres high encloses a space about 35 metres across. It was possibly built as a counterpart to the circle at Swinside in Cumbria. Inside the circle is a long low partly kerbed mound lying east–west. It originally held two burial cists with cremated human remains, one at each end of the mound. The mound has similar (two end burial chambers) features to the Audleystown Court Tomb.

Ballysaggartmore Towers are two ornate entrance lodges that are situated on the former Ballysaggartmore Demesne approx 2.5 kilometres from the town of Lismore in County Waterford, Ireland. The structures are considered architectural "follies".They were constructed for an Anglo Irish Landlord, Arthur Keily-Ussher no later than 1834. The house itself was large but of a very plain design, which was in obvious contrast to the lodges.

The Abbey is situated on the east bank of the River Slaney on the North side of Baltinglass town.The Abbey was founded in 1148 by Dermot McMurrogh. Dermot McMurrogh brought Cistercian monks from Mellifont. It was established for the Cistercians which was called “The Valley of Salvation”.The six beautiful Gothic arches on either side of the nave, supported by alternate round and square pillars, are a noteworthy feature of the ruins.

Barryscourt Castle was the seat of the great Anglo-Norman Barry family and is one of the finest examples of a restored Irish Tower House. Dating from between 1392 and 1420, the Castle has an outer bawn wall and largely intact corner towers. It was built in a style fairly typical in Ireland in the 16th century, consisting of a main tower house building with smaller adjacent buildings arranged around a courtyard, which was protected by an outer "bawn" or curtain wall, with 3 smaller corner towers.

The Visitor Centre is housed in the restored 18th century Oldbridge House on the banks of the River Boyne. It gives an in-depth insight into the battle between King William III and his father-in-law King James II in 1690. Explore the colourful tale of the Battle of the Boyne through detailed displays and historical reenactments.

This fine cut-stone group of buildings was erected in 1852. It served the poor of the parishes of Templeport , Corlough, Kildallan, Drumreilly, Newtowngore, Ballinamore, Swanlinbar and part of Glangevlin. A Board of Guardians governed each union; some nominated by the Grand jury and others by the voters of the rate-payers . The Guardians levied a rate on the union and used the proceeds to support the workhouse.

A majestic house which was built by Sir Henry Titchbourne, Marshal of the Army in Ireland, and Governor of Drogheda. It is believed to be the finest example of Irish domestic architecture to survive from the Restoration. Inside the impressive house the walls are adorned with excellent family portraits, as well as a superior collection of the works of many famous Irish artists of the early part of the 20th-century. It is one of the earliest unfortified major houses built in Ireland.

Bective Abbey was founded in 1147 for the Cistercian Order by Murchad O'Maeil- Sheachlainn, King of Meath. It was Ireland's second Cistercian Abbey. The remains now visible at the Abbey date mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries. They include the church, chapter house and cloister. It is a protected structure and recorded on the register of National monuments of Ireland.

A bronze age stone circle dates from circa 2100-700 BC. overlooks the now destroyed passage tomb complex at Kilmonaster and Beltany is dominated by Croghan Hill to the east on the summit of which there sits a Neolithic mound most likely a passage tomb. Today Beltany has 64 stones of varying height and width enclosing an earthen platform.

Benburb Castle was built in the 1610's by Sir Richard Wingfield during the Plantation. It was probably built on the site of an earlier stronghold of Shane O’Neill, on a cliff above a bend in the Blackwater River; the border between the counties of Tyrone and Armagh. It was then called the Wingfield Bawn. The castle has been restored and stands in the grounds of the imposing Servite Priory, a religious order based in the village.