Carrickkildavnet Castle

Achill Island, Ireland

Carrickkildavnet or Kildavnet Castle is a tower house located in the southeast corner of Achill Island, across from the Corraun Peninsula. This is an important strategic site, protecting the mouth of Achill Sound and the passage that connects Clew Bay with Blacksod Bay.

Carrickkildavnet Castle was built c. 1429 by the Ó Máille (O'Malley), Kings of Umaill. It was later the stronghold of Gráinne Ní Mháille (Grace O'Malley, c. 1530 – c. 1603), the famous 'pirate queen.'

It is a tower house of four storeys' height. It is vaulted above the first floor and a hole at the corner of this vault is the only access to the higher levels, presumably for defensive reasons. Other defensive features include a mural chamber, machicolation, defensive loops, buttress fortifications at the top and a ruined bawn wall.

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Achill Island, Ireland
See all sites in Achill Island

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Founded: c. 1429
Category: Castles and fortifications in Ireland

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Michael Albury (4 months ago)
Quick little stop. Well taken care of. Old cemetery in church in and near. There are a number of these in the Irish countryside but I do find them interesting. Looking at headstones and the different dates. Interesting that entire familys are buried in one location.
Daniel Haller (12 months ago)
Nice quiet spot to visit. Parking is a challenge & the site isn't handicap accessible. Free to visit. Watch your step as sheep graze in the area. Great views of the sound, especially the 4 days a year the sun is out.
Sam Sung (2 years ago)
This is a fine example of a Tower House. It is amazingly well preserved as there appears to be no official care. There's a small car park about 100m just up on the left. To enter the Towers grounds, there's a wee set of steps set into the wall on the left side of the gate. There is an information panel at the car park but being inside the structure was for me just amazing. The interior light lends to the mood of that age. You can see the levels where there would have been floors. I think I counted three floors and then the attic, if you like. It is purely a nostalgic memory in that you can say you were there. No souvenirs or shops to pollute the experience just a moment to be still and possibly take your mind back in time.
Daithí Kilcourse (3 years ago)
Very nice. A great piece of Irish history. We visited while doing a drive around Achill. Well worth stopping for 5-10 minutes and getting a few pics. A nice stop for a break and enjoy the view.
Taylor Anderson (6 years ago)
Absolutely amazing tower castle! Free to park near and walk into! Getting to see where the pirate queen, Grace O’Malley, lived is absolutely incredible! The parking is not far down the road with a large sign that details her life. The tower is large and striking against the water. To get to it from the parking area, you walk down along the stone wall and climb up the stone steps and then walk down the hill. There is a turnstile at the door of the castle that you can just walk through into the main room. The roof of what appears to be the second floor is still intact and you can see higher up through what was possibly a chimney (could just be a hole in the ceiling). You can walk out to the water beyond the castle which is crystal clear. The castle itself is amazing, but the view around it is completely stunning.
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