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Redwood Castle today

Ireland · Restored

Redwood Castle

Caisleán Choillte Rua

Redwood Castle is a Norman tower house near Lorrha in County Tipperary, Ireland, built around 1200 and long held by the Mac Aodhagáin (Egan) family as a seat and school of learning. It was burned and confiscated c.1650, lay as a ruin for centuries, and was purchased and renovated in 1972; it remains a privately owned, protected structure that opens to the public at times.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1210

Its prime

1600

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1600

What Redwood Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall, rectangular four-storey stone tower house with a pronounced battered base and relatively flat facades punctured by small rectangular mullioned windows and narrow arrow slits. The upper corners show corbelled round bartizans and crenellated parapets; one gabled roofline is visible behind the parapet. Walls are dressed local sandstone with a warm yellow-brown colour and rough tooling. The castle stands alone on a low rise in open farmland with a gravel approach.

Its story

The story of Redwood Castle.

Redwood Castle, Egan Castle, or Caisleán Choillte Rua in Irish, was built by the Normans around 1200 near Lorrha in County Tipperary and occupied by them until about 1350, when the Mac Aodhagáin (MacEgan) family were installed on the lands. Hereditary Brehons, or lawyers, the Mac Aodhagáin established a school of learning here, patronised by the family for several hundred years.

Enlarged and renovated several times from 1350, the castle combines thick original stone walls with a murder-hole and a rarer Sheela na gig. The Egan families held it in continuous occupation until about 1650, when it was confiscated and burned at the time of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland; the site then lay in ruin for over 300 years, with only the thick exterior walls standing.

In 1972 Michael J. Egan, a County Mayo lawyer, purchased and renovated the building. It remains a private residence, required to open to the public at times in summer under heritage tax-relief terms, and a protected structure. Clan Egan rallies, held in different countries typically every two years, have repeatedly included gatherings at Redwood, described as the clan's ancestral home.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1600.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Redwood Castle, including 2 interiors: entrance passage with murder-hole, mac aodhage1in school chamber. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach and viewWest façade close-upEntrance passage with murder-holeBattlements and parapet walkwayMac Aodhage1in school chamberSheela na gig carving on external wallView toward corbelled corner bartizan

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Whose castle

Clans who held Redwood Castle.

The families that held Redwood Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Egan

    Held by the Mac Aodhagáin (Egan) family from c.1350 until confiscated and burned c.1650; repurchased and restored by Michael J. Egan in 1972.

Questions about Redwood Castle

What is the history of Redwood Castle?

Redwood Castle began as a Norman tower house around 1200 and was occupied by the Normans until about 1350. The Mac Aodhagáin family then established a school of learning there, patronised for several hundred years. It was confiscated and burned around 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, remained a ruin for over 300 years, and was purchased and renovated in 1972.

What is inside Redwood Castle?

Inside Redwood Castle are an entrance passage with a murder-hole and a Mac Aodhagáin school chamber. The castle also contains the thick original stone walls associated with its earlier fortification. A Sheela na gig carving is located on an external wall rather than inside.

Why was Redwood Castle built, and what was it used for?

Redwood Castle was built as a Norman tower house and later served as a seat and school of learning for the Mac Aodhagáin family. The family’s hereditary Brehons, or lawyers, established the school, which they patronised for several hundred years. It was enlarged and renovated several times from 1350.

Does anyone live in Redwood Castle now?

Redwood Castle remains a private residence, but the supplied material does not identify its current residents. Its present residential use is distinct from its occasional public access during the summer months.

Where is Redwood Castle?

Redwood Castle is near Lorrha in County Tipperary. It stands alone on a low rise in open farmland, with a gravel approach. The castle is in Ireland.

When was Redwood Castle built?

Redwood Castle was built around 1200, or in the 13th century. The supplied dates give 1210 for its first raising and describe its construction as occurring around 1200. It was enlarged and renovated several times from 1350.

Was Redwood Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Redwood Castle was confiscated and burned around 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The supplied material does not describe a named siege or state that the castle held against an assault. After the burning, it remained in ruin for over 300 years.

Which family or clan held Redwood Castle?

Redwood Castle was held by the Mac Aodhagáin, or Egan, family from about 1350 until it was confiscated and burned around 1650. Michael J. Egan repurchased and restored it in 1972. The Mac Aodhagáin were hereditary Brehons and established a school of learning at the castle.

What did Redwood Castle look like in its prime?

Redwood Castle is a tall, rectangular four-storey stone tower house with a pronounced battered base and relatively flat façades. Small rectangular mullioned windows and narrow arrow slits puncture the walls, while corbelled round bartizans and crenellated parapets mark the upper corners. The walls are dressed local sandstone with a warm yellow-brown colour and rough tooling.

Is Redwood Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Redwood Castle is still standing and has been restored. It stood as a ruin for over 300 years after being burned, with only the thick exterior walls remaining. The restoration began after Michael J. Egan purchased the building in 1972, and the castle retains considerable original stonework.

Can you visit Redwood Castle?

Redwood Castle can be visited at times during the summer months, although it remains a private residence. Its public access is required under Heritage/Cultural Tax Relief terms. It is also a protected structure.

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