Cloonacauneen Castle is just one of the many Castles in Castlegar Galway.
It is also one of our true Heritage assets, unique in that it is adapted to embrace modernity as well.
Coordinates for Cloonacauneen Castle: 53.322849, -8.988361
See Dynamic Yahoo map of this location (new window).
- This is a Limestone structure featuring Four storeys and a square tower house built around the year 1450 with an extension added around 1855.
- In 1586, this was owned by Richard Beg. In the 1850's, we see that William Faire had it.
- Renovated around 1963 and many times since, most likely. (ref. Council in P.D.F.).
- The Castellated features on top, are lit at night and still draw a sense of mystery, as you descend from the elevated position of the Galway to Tuam road (N17).
- The High Ceiling, as you breach the Arched doorway, dwarfs the mind as it shows itself to be taller and older.
- The Stone Walls of the interior, do as they should - offer a container of strength and a capsule of history.
- This Castle doesn't have the Grandiosity of Ashford, but has a lot more intimacy - a quality which makes it popular for parties, Civil Marraiges and other family unions. Locals, from numerous Townlands in Castlegar and neighbouring Claregalway, know this place and flock to it like a sub-conscious endorsement seated in Heritage.
- Food is offered on a price-conscious platter in its Restaurant.
- Immediately North, is an old bog which stretches to the Headford Road. This offers some insight into the great engineers of the past who could position a heavy Castle so close to a bog, but not on it.
- South of the Cloonacauneen Castle, is the old Holy Well of Tober Rí Doney (Toberreendoney - Well of the King of Sunday). To its West is the other Holy Well of Tobermacduaigh.
- Corinthians Rugby Club is to the South.
- Cloonacauneen Castle is in the Townland of Cloonacauneen, East of Pollkeen and North East of Killeen.
- In the context of Glacial scraping of this entire region, this Castle is very young indeed!
^Thanks Fidelma
You may be interested in the Families around here, in 1911 (new window)
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^ Above, we see from this 1840 Map that the course of the road has not changed much either, except for the absence of a connection to Pollkeen; due South West. *Free Maps (above is an extract), and copyright info., is at http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Library/1842OSMaps/ |
