Dunamase

The Rock of Dunamase (Irish Dún Masc ) is one of the historical places in Ireland and is located near the national road 80 (N 80), about 6 kilometers east of the town of Portlaoise, County Laois. On the hill, which was for many years the military zone, is a collection of ruins, some of which are over a thousand years old. The place was already known to Ptolemy, the BC referred to him in his famous map from the year 140 as Dunnum.

There are the ruins of the castle of Mac Murrough, which can still be seen today on the hill, but after the wedding, there was some change in ownership. After Strongbow was not until the Anglo-Norman family Mortimer, then the descendants of Laois Ceann Mór, the O'Moores, owners who made ​​a point of collecting it. The O'Moore 's renewed the castle extensively in the 15th century and defended it successfully for over a century, until they were banished with the families of Fitzpatrick, O'Dempsey and O'Dunne to Kerry. Ultimately, Oliver Cromwell conquered the castle in 1650. Still the trenches of his troops are visible.