Dunguaire Castle

The Dunguaire Castle ( Irish Caisleán Dhun Guaire ) is Kinvara in the south of County Galway in Ireland. It takes its name from the old Dun Guaire the king of Connacht, who died in AD 662. Guaire was famous for his hospitality and generosity, which in the legend Bothar na Mias (street of the harness ) is told. The original Dun is probably the mound with remains of walls on the headland west of the Castle.

Dunguaire Castle was never a castle in the military sense, but on a typical tower house of the 16th century. This tower houses were built in 1450-1650 by the Irish gentleman and landowner. The largest concentration is found in the counties Clare and Limerick, as well as in the south of County Galway.

The Dunguaire Tower House was built in 1520 by Guaires descendants of the clan of O'Hynes. It arrived in the 17th century in the hands of the Martyn's of Galway. Richard Martyn, who was Mayor of Galway 1607-1608, lived here until 1642 and his family, who Martyn of Tulira Castle occupied it until the end of the century, it fell into disrepair. 1924 was restored Dunguaire Castle by Oliver St. John Gogarty, the famous surgeon James Joyce served as a literary model for Buck Mulligan in Ulysses. Although he never lived there, he organized literary colloquia here. Near the Castles ( at Gort ) and Lady Gregory had temporarily ( in Coole Park ) and William Butler Yeats ( in the now restored tower house Thoor Ballylee, Túr Bhaile Uí LAI) their residences. The Castle was purchased in 1954 by Lady Ampthill, who completed the restoration and sold it in 1972. Since 1966, it is open for visitors and serves as a venue for medieval banquets. In 1979, the castle served as a backdrop for the action movie demolition squad Atlantic with Roger Moore and Anthony Perkins.