Dungarvan Castle is a small fortified castle dating from the 12th century. Dungarvan Castle, with its enclosure and keep, has a very unusual architecture, quite unlike any other castle in Ireland… A real architectural curiosity, to be discovered if you happen to be in the area!
Dungarvan castle takes the form of a polygonal enclosure. Its architecture adopts the “donjon-coquille” style, an unusual form in Ireland, often crossed in England, which forms an enclosure folded around the castle like a shell.
Dungarvan Castle is of course open to visitors, with tours of the curtain wall, ford tower and corner tower overlooking the surrounding area. Don’t miss the 18th-century, 2-storey military barracks in the middle of the curtain wall.
The latter was used for military operations at the time, and has now been renovated to house an exhibition on the castle’s history.
The tour must be guided, and is only available in English. Nevertheless, the visit remains interesting and original, thanks to the original structure of Dungarvan Castle. The exhibition provides a clear, concise overview of the key dates in the castle’s history. A short video is also on the program, for those more reluctant to read exhibition posters!