Maynooth Castle

Maynooth Castle is an Irish castle, built in the 12th century in County Kildare. Although today in ruins, the castle is still partially open to visitors and attracts all those who are passionate about medieval history, who come to seek the charm and authenticity of an Irish fortress steeped in history… A rather nice fortress to discover!

History of Maynooth Castle

A fortress belonging to the Fitzgerald clan..

Maynooth Castle once belonged to the Fitzgerald family from 1176 to 1534. At that time the family was one of the most powerful and influential families in County Kildare.

It owned a lot of land around the region and had direct relations with the Royal Family of England.

However, the family was dislodged from the fort in 1534, when Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (1513-1537) (nicknamed Silken Thomas), came into direct conflict with King Henry VIII, to whom he publicly renounced his allegiance . An affront that the King will not forgive him.

The King then ordered the British William Skeffington to send his troops to storm the castle. The assault lasts 10 days… Numerous cannon shots finally overpowered the fortress in March 1535, pushing the Fitzgeralds to flee.

Since then, the castle has not been renovated, and has remained in a partial state of ruins. However, the Irish State has since turned it into a touristic site, and has established a Visitor Centre, which is very much visited nowadays…

Visit Maynooth Castle

A Castle with authentic charm

Only a small part of the castle is accessible. The Visitor Centre will invite you to attend a compulsory guided tour, which will cost you €6 per person. If your English is not too bad, you will be able to discover all the history and anecdotes of the castle, its subtleties, as well as the different rooms that once structured the fortress…

During the playful explanations of the guide, you will be able to walk through the only portion of the castle still intact, and admire the architectural structure of the fortress which has been able to resist time as well as the violence of the artillery of William Skeffington’s army. The design of the vaults, as well as certain sections of the walls, give an idea of what the castle looked like in the past: enough to feed your imagination for a rather pleasant visit!

So much more to discover...