This was the second time we visited this castle, the first one being on June 3rd, 2001, but only in this occasion we took the time to study it a little better and take the coordinates.
It's also called the Black Castle and is situated on the left bank of the river Barrow, in the town of Leighlinbridge. It is one of the earliest Norman castles in Ireland. It's a tower house about 15 metres tall, with the remains of a bawn wall. The first castle was built here in 1180 to defend the river crossing, the present building, though, was built about 200 years later to protect the adjacent Carmelite friary and the bridge built in those times.
The castle was rebuilt and the bawn wall was fortified in 1547 by Sir Edward Bellingham, an English Lord Deputy.
Twenty years later the castle was owned by Sir Peter Carew, but in 1577 Rory Óg O'More attacked and destroyed the castle, that it was again rebuilt.
The Cromwellian army attacked and destroyed the castle for the last time in 1650.
Part of the tower collapsed in 1888.
Since the castle is on the bank of the river, parking is almost impossible, the little lane by the river is too narrow to leave the car. The best way to visit it is to park the car on the other side of the river.
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