Aughanure Castle

Aughanure Castle derives it’s name from the Gaelic Achadh na nIubhar – the field of the yews. It is believed to have been built by the O Flathertys around 1500 and it is unusual in that it has two bawns. The Tower House in a good state of perseveration and has been expertly restored in recent times. There is a fireplace on the third storey; a vault over the fourth storey; two corner bartizans on the third floor and a reconstructed roof. The parapets have machicolations on all four side; the view from the top looks out over Lough Corrib and Joyces’ Country to the north; and, in the past, Aughanure commanded a key position, guarding the gateway to Connemara, the head of Lough Corrib. Part of the outer bawn and most of the banquet hall collapsed into an underground cave system hollowed out by the river. The remaining part of the sixteenth-century banquet-hall, mainly it’s eastern wall, has elaborately carved decorations, mainly in vine and grape motifs, on it’s window embrasures, similar to those in the old castle and friary of Askeaton. The sloping inlet to the north-east of the town house is a dock. Anyone arriving here, by boat, however, had to be admitted to the outer bawn before being allowed to access the inner bawn. The inner bawn has a rounded turret, with a corralled roof, at it’s south-eastern corner. A short stretch of wall extending northwards from this turret probably connected to another wall extending southwards along the western wall of the dock. There are two other turrets on the north-eastern and south eastern corners of the outer bawn.

Aughanure Castle is a must-see site on any Private Connemara Day Tour and Connemara Chauffeurs would love to take you to visit this beautiful site. There is, like most OPW sites, a small cover charge which helps to pay for the maintenance of the Castle and it’s grounds. If Aughanure Castle is a site you wish to visit simply specify it to us and we will ensure you get to visit this spectacular site.

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