Adare Castle

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Dating from around 1200, this picturesque Norman ruin changed hands several times before being entirely wrecked by Cromwell's troops in 1657, by which time its strategic importance had slipped away. Highlights include the great hall with its early-13th-century windows, and the huge kitchen and bakery.

Tours must be booked through the Adare Heritage Centre. When tours aren't on, you can view the castle from the busy main road, or more peacefully from the riverside footpath or the Augustinian Priory grounds.

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Nearby attractions

1. Augustinian Priory

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North of Adare village, on the N21 and close to the bridge over the River Maigue, is the Church of Ireland parish church, once the Augustinian priory,…

2. Franciscan Friary

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The ruins of this friary, founded by the Earl of Kildare in 1464, stand serenely in the middle of Adare Golf Club beside the River Maigue. Public access…

3. Church of the Holy Trinity

0.41 MILES

The dramatic tower and southern wall of the Church of the Holy Trinity date from the 13th-century Trinitarian priory that was restored by the first Earl…

4. Adare Heritage Centre

0.45 MILES

In the middle of Adare, exhibits here explain the history and medieval context of the village's buildings in entertaining fashion. Quality Irish crafts…

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