Castle In Galway - Carraigin Castle Galway
A Fortified Galway hall-house of circa 1300 AD
For 700 years, Carraigin Castle has been a landmark on the eastern shore of Lough Corrib. In recent years, this castle has been authentically restored to its former glory using the same materials and techniques as the original thirteenth-century builders. Modern comforts have been incorporated without detracting from the charm and simple grandeur of this ancient dwelling, a rare and beautiful example of the medieval “hall house”.
Surrounded by seven acres of lawns, woodland and meadows, it is an idyllic holiday home in a beautiful lakeside setting. There one can enjoy walking, boating, fishing, riding and sightseeing, or simply relax and contemplate the gothic geometry of the roof timbers.
History
Despite its massive, castellated walls, Carraigin was never a mere fortress, but rather, an elegant home where a land-owning family could live securely in turbulent times. For some ten generations, the castle housed the descendants of its founder, Adam Gaynard III, grandson of a Norman adventurer who had taken part in the colonisation of the neighbourhood by the great de Burgo conquerors in 1238.
Towards 1650, another military adventurer, George Staunton, acquired “the castle and lands of Cargin”, which his descendants continued to own until 1946. By, then, the castle had long been abandoned. Stripped of its roof in the early 18th century, Carraigin’s relatively recent upper storeys and finer stonework were demolished and burned to make lime for the construction of the nearby Georgian mansion which replaced it. However, the solid masonry core of the original 13th Century building had been constructed with such skill that it weathered centuries of neglect, surviving as a romantic, ivy-covered ruin until, in 1970, the castle was restored to its original form and purpose.
Interior
Carraigin Castle comprises the following:
Main Floor
Great Hall: Stone-flagged vaulted hallway and a spacious and lofty living & dining area, with large open fireplace & barbecue, phone & TV; compact Kitchen, fully equipped, with fridge-freezer, dish-washer, gas cooker, food processor, microwave, etc.
Master Bedroom: with queen-sized bed & adjoining Bathroom.
Top Floor
Gallery: The largest bedroom, under the rafters, with queen-sized bed & single.
Tower Room: 1 single bed & wash basin
Both top-floor rooms have access to parapets and Tower roof terrace
Ground Level
Three Vaulted Bedrooms, one leading into the other, in the ancient fashion: No 1: 1 double & 2 single beds; No 2: 1 double & 1 single; No 3: 1 single.
Bathroom: with bath & shower, washing machine & dryer.
Activities
You have the option of a wide variety of activities including;
Boating and fishingavailable on the premises and may be hired.
Golf and horse-ridingwithin easy distance.
A range of exciting excursionsand many places to explore.
Restaurants & Pubs and shops are a ten-minute drive.
Deckchairs and garden furniture for the summerhouse are provided.
Or … simply sit back and take in the your beautiful surrounds and enjoy the local Irish culture …
Location
A) If you are arriving from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, or from Galway Airport, join the new Galway by-pass and head for Galway East until you see signs for Castlebar. Follow these signs on to the Headford Road. After driving about 13 miles towards Headford, just after the Trading Post petrol station, turn left onto a minor road, signposted Lough Corrib Nursing Home, and then continue as described in C below.
B) If you are arriving from Knock Airport, or elsewhere from the north east, drive to Tuam and continue for a further three miles towards Galway, then turn right onto a secondary road at a signpost for Headford. After ten miles (always taking the straightest road ahead at junctioms), you will reach the Castlebar-Galway road on the outskirts of Headford, where you should turn left and drive through the village to the crossroads at the top of the hill. There turn left again, towards Galway. After a few hundred yards, turn right just before Joyce’s hardware store at a sign for Lough Corrib Nursing Home.
C) Follow this narrow, winding lane for about four miles, taking the straightest route ahead at each junction (including one where you should ignore a further sign for Lough Corrib Nursing Home/Kilbeg Pier), until you can see the lake ahead, and the Castle towards your left. Turn left at the junction at the foot of the hill towards Kilbeg Pier, and then drive through the first gateway on your right. If you are collecting the keys from the Creavens, go straight on at the junction, to the first bungalow on your left, after the ornamental gateway to Clydagh House.
Dublin 153miles (245km)
Shannon Airport 74miles (119km)
Galway 18miles (29km)
Headford 4miles (7km)
Contact
from UK: 020 7736 9834
from Republic of Ireland: +44 207 736 9834
Email: info@carraigin.com
- Castles in Galway
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