Castles / Caisleán

Rockstown Castle, Co. Limerick

A tower house at Rockstown, Co. Limerick with traces of a pear-shaped enclosure or bawn around it

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Rockstown Castle, Co. Limerick
Courtesy of Con Brogan

Rockstown Castle, Co. Limerick

A tower house at Rockstown, Co. Limerick with traces of a pear-shaped enclosure or bawn around it

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Enlarge image

The concept of building castles was introduced to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans in the late twelfth century and most of our early stone castles were built between then and 1300 AD. These castles took a variety of forms and shapes. A smaller version, called the hallhouse, developed during the thirteenth century and may have played a part in the development of the ubiquitous tower house, a late Irish development of the castle. These were built by lords and wealthy tenants of both Gaelic and Anglo Norman stock in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Moylough, Co. Galway

The hall-house at Moylough, Co. Galway. This hall-house was built soon after the Anglo-Norman conquest of Connacht in the 1230's

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Moylough, Co. Galway
Courtesy of Con Brogan

Moylough, Co. Galway

The hall-house at Moylough, Co. Galway. This hall-house was built soon after the Anglo-Norman conquest of Connacht in the 1230's

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Enlarge image

Ás Gaeilge:

B’iad na hAngla-Normannaigh a thosaigh ag tógáil caisleán in Éirinn go déanach sa dara haois déag agus tógadh an chuid is mó dár gcaisleáin chloiche ba thúisce idir sin agus 1300 AD. Bhí éagsúlacht mhúnlaí agus chruthanna ar na caisleáin sin. Forbraíodh leagan níos lú díobh, ar a dtugtar an teach halla, le linn an tríú haois déag. Is cosúil go raibh baint aige le forbairt an túrthí choitianta a bhí mar fhorbairt dhéanach Éireannach ar an gcaisleán. Tiarnaí agus tionóntaí saibhre de bhunadh Gaelach agus Angla-Normannach a thógadh iad sa chúigiú haois déag agus sa séú haois déag.