Carlow Castle

The original castle keep was built around 1231 by William the Marshall or his son. It was transferred to the crown in 1306 and changed hands many times over the centuries, sadly turning one of the finest castles in the region into a precarious shell. Two of the Round Towers remain, along with a wall that dates back to the 13th century.

Cromwell captured this Norman castle in 1650, but the most significant damage was inflicted on it by a Dr. Middleton in 1814. He had the walls blasted by explosives to modify the building to accommodate an insane asylum. Much of it was rendered unsafe and had to be further destroyed.