Ireland · Partial ruin
Dunmore Castle
Caisleán an Dúin Mhóir
Dunmore Castle is a medieval stone keep and National Monument near Dunmore in County Galway, Ireland. The site originated in the early 13th century with most fabric dating to the early 14th century and substantial 16th‑century alterations; it is now conserved under the Office of Public Works.
Its prime
1600
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1600
What Dunmore Castle looked like in its prime.
The castle is a rectangular five‑storey stone keep, 14 by 8.2 m at the base, with a pronounced sloping base‑batter. The silhouette is a compact vertical block with 16th‑century added roof gables and chimneys above stacked floors. Openings include a ground‑floor entrance, an oculus, mullioned windows and narrow arrowslits. A garderobe projection is visible at the northwest corner. Short stretches of curtain wall survive around the base, and the site occupies the north bank of the Sinking River near Dunmore.
Its story
The story of Dunmore Castle.
Tradition holds that Dunmore, Irish dún mór, "great hillfort", was a lesser residence of the ancient Kings of Connacht. The first castle here was built by the de Bermingham family in the early 13th century as a bulwark against Gaelic Irish attacks, and it was rebuilt as a two-storey hall keep in the reigns of Edward II and Edward III as Lords of Ireland.
The de Berminghams rebelled against Queen Elizabeth I, and in 1569 the castle was taken from them by Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland, though it was later returned. It was afterwards occupied by the Ouseley family, including the famous preacher Gideon Ouseley, until the 19th century.
The castle stands as a rectangular five-storey keep, 14 by 8.2 metres at base with a large base-batter and evidence of a garderobe at the northwest; the windows include an oculus, mullions and arrowslits, and some of the curtain wall survives. It is a National Monument, conserved under the Office of Public Works.
Step inside
7 places to explore in 1600.
The record describes 7 distinct spots at Dunmore Castle, including 3 interiors: ground-floor entrance, great hall (hall-keep), upper chambers and roof gables. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Recreate Dunmore Castle with AI to explore it.
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Clans who held Dunmore Castle.
The families that held Dunmore Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
Bermingham
Built by the de Bermingham family in the early 13th century; taken from them in 1569 but later returned.
Ouseley
Occupied by the Ouseley family until the 19th century.
