ATHENRY CASTLE

Athenry Castle was built by Meiler de Bermingham in 1250 and holds strong links with the medieval walled town of Athenry.

It is believed that the oldest part of the castle is the hall-keep which was accessed by the only original entrance which could only be reached by external wooden stairs. The hall was the official and ceremonial reception room of the castle.

It was believed that Meiler de Bermingham was granted a charter for the land from Richard de Burgo (Burke) for a castle to be built to protect the crossing point over the Clareen River. It is understood that the castle went through some transformations in the 15th century to add new features to the castle such as the basement which could only be accessed by a trap door.

The castle came under attack by the O’Donnells in 1597 and laid to ruin for nearly 400 years before the office of public works went about its restoration work.