Ireland · Partial ruin
King John's Castle
King John's Castle is a 13th-century Norman castle on King's Island in Limerick, built around 1210 on the River Shannon and long acting as the city's principal fortification. Substantial stretches of its curtain walls and several round towers survive today and the site is open to visitors following a modern redevelopment of visitor facilities.
First raised
1210
Its prime
1574
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1574
The shape it held in its prime.
A low, continuous curtain of pale grey masonry runs along the river edge, punctuated at intervals by thick, cylindrical drum towers with crenellated parapets and walkway behind them. The castle sits directly on the Shannon with a multi-arched stone bridge approach from the south. Walls are of regular ashlar blocks; rooflines are dominated by battlements rather than tall pitched roofs. At its prime the curtain and towers were complete and unbroken, enclosing an inner courtyard.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1574.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at King John's Castle — including 2 interiors: inner courtyard, northwest corner (royal mint). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.
Create History
See King John's Castle with the fires lit.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1574 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate Castle to Explore →
