The Granuaile’s Castle

Granuaile’s Castle is a medieval tower located on Clare Island in Ireland. It was known to be the property of the famous Irish pirate Grace O’Malley in the 16th century. Built near the harbour, it was ideally placed to monitor the activities of Clew Bay.

Visit Granuaile’s Castle

Pirate Grace O’Malley’s castle.

Grace O’Malley’s castle, located a few meters from the port of Clare Island, is said to have been built during the 16th century. At that time, the Irish pirate had made Clare Island a veritable fiefdom, keeping a close watch on maritime activity in the surrounding area.

The castle was then perfect to carry out her controversial activities: installed on her island, she could decamp at any time in case of an attempted assault.

Granuaile’s Castle was a very fine example of a “tower house”, typical of the time. Built on 3 floors, it allowed the pirate to live in comfort during her retreat phases.

The large living room was on the 1st floor: it was there that Grace O’Malley would feast with her guests and plan her future acts of piracy. The upper floors were dedicated to bedrooms and kitchens.

In excellent condition despite the passage of time, the building still seems intact today. You will be able to admire it from the outside, but you will not be able to access the inside (for security reasons).

For your information, the castle was transformed into a police barracks in the 1820s before it was finally abandoned.

So much more to discover...