Castle hotel
Kinnitty
Kinnitty Castle
A 13th-century-founded castle at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, now a 37-room hotel run by the same group as Kilronan Castle.
Worth the detour
Notable castles to visit
12thc.
Notable castle
Birr Castle
Originating as a motte-and-bailey built by the Gaelic O'Carroll clan, Birr Castle was granted to the Parsons family in 1620 and remains their home today.
1798
Notable castle
Charleville Castle
Designed by Francis Johnston for Charles William Bury, 1st Earl of Charleville, and completed around 1812, it is regarded as one of the finest Gothic Revival castles in Ireland, set among ancient oak woodland in Tullamore.
1811
Notable castle
Kinnitty Castle
Built on the site of a medieval O'Carroll stronghold and rebuilt from 1811-19 in Gothic Revival style for the Bernard family, Kinnitty Castle sits in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
15thc.
Notable castle
Leap Castle
An O'Carroll clan stronghold guarding the pass between the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the Munster border, Leap Castle is widely reputed to be the most haunted castle in Ireland, with a grim history including the 'Bloody Chapel' massacre.