Top 4 Castles around Ballinran

This charming seaside town overlooks the Mourne Mountains, whose silhouette rises along the coast of Northern Ireland. Carlingford is very lively at weekends thanks to its many pubs and restaurants, which attract visitors from the north, and is famous for its oysters. The village has several historical sights, such as the small King John's Castle, with its romantic silhouette overlooking the sea, and Taaffe's Castle, a former 16th-century merchant's house located a little further from the quay.

Above the medieval street pattern, which dominates the silhouette of Carlingford, stands the imposing ruin of Carlingford Castle, also known as King John’s Castle. This castle was built around 1190 by the Norman knight Hugh de Lacy and was for centuries the strategic key to the entrance of Carlingford Lough.

Taaffe's Castle is a fortified merchant's house dating from the early 16th century, built by the wealthy Taaffe family, who later became the Earls of Carlingford. Situated near the old harbour, the building originally served as a trading post on the ground floor with residential floors above. The architecture displays typical defensive features such as machicolations, narrow loopholes, spiral staircases, and multi-level garderobes. [curiousireland.ie], [castles.nl], [carlingfor...centre.com] The main structure is a four-storey rectangular tower, later extended with a 16th-century northern extension. Its location and construction clearly demonstrate Carlingford's importance as a thriving trading town during that period. After the 17th century, it fell into disuse, and eventually fell into disuse. Today, it forms part of a pub complex and remains a striking example of medieval urban defensive architecture in Carlingford.

Carlingford Castle, also known as King John’s Castle, is a striking 12th-century fortress overlooking the charming medieval town of Carlingford and its scenic harbour. Built by Hugh de Lacy to guard the strategic Lough, the castle has a commanding presence with its weathered stone walls and rugged silhouette against the water. Though partially in ruins, it still captures the atmosphere of Ireland’s Norman past, and its elevated position offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and coastline.

Perfectly placed on the beautiful Shores of Carlingford Lough, this was a 13th century Norman keep, a replacement tower house and bawn was built at Narrow Water in the 16th century. The replacement structure, built in the 1560's, was a typical example of the tower houses built throughout Ireland at the time. The castle was damaged during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and sold to the Hall family in the 1670's. It was occupied by the Hall family until they built an "Elizabethan revival style" mansion in the early 19th century. This Mansion is also called Narrow Water Castle.

Wikipedia (Carlingford, County Louth, 2023-12-18): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlingford,_County_Louth https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlingford Carlingford Lough Heritage Trust (Discover Carlingford & The Cooley Peninsula, 2023-12-18): https://www.carlingford.ie/

Beautiful spot for photos at sunrise or sunset.

A picturesque historic town on the edge of Carlingford Lough. The small town are the gateway for adventures in and around the Cooley Mountains.