The fascinating ruins of this castle sit on a rocky outcrop overlooking Limerick to the east and the River Shannon to the north.
The first mention to a castle in this area is in 1209, in the Annals of Innisfallen. The area was known with the name of Carriac Ui gConaing. It was granted to the King of Thomond Donnchad Cairbreach.
This current castle might date to the end of the 15th century. It was first mentioned in 1536 when the Lord Deputy of Ireland Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane, marched to a castle called Carekogunyel, which stood on a high rock.
The castle went through many other dramatic and violent events, and in August 1691, during the Second Siege of Limerick of the Williamite War, the castle was taken and blown up with lots of gun powder.
The access to the castle is via a unpaved track from the south. At the end of it there's a dry stone wall and a couple of runs of barbed wire, but the effort is worth it.
|