Dunguaire Castle is a fantastic early 16th century tower house situated on the southern shores of Galway bay just outside the picturesque village of Kinvara. The castle was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes family, a prominent clan in the area since the 7th century. The name derives from the Dun of King Guaire, ‘dun’ being the Irish for Fort and King Guaire the legendary king of Connaught. The castle changed into the hands of the Martyn family, one of the 14 tribes of Galway, during the 17th century and remained in their hands until 1924. Oliver St John Gogarty the famous poet, playwright and politician bought the castle in 1924 and used it as a literary retreat and meeting house for friends of his in the Irish literary revival movement. The castle was visited many times by literary greats such as W.B Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Lady Gregory, and J.M. Synge to name just a few. In 1954 the house was bought by Christobel Lady Amptill who continued the restorations begun by Oliver St John Gogarty before house castle became the property of the Shannon Group, who maintain ownership to the modern day. Dunguaire is a beautifully restored castle, situated in such scenic surroundings that it is most certainly worth a visit if in the area.

GPS: 53.14218, -8.92622