Castles
are fortified structures which usually contained a garrison. A small number
of castles are thought to have been built in Ireland in the earlier part
of the 12th century. However, it was the Anglo-Normans who introduced
the technique of stone castle building after 1169 AD. Typically, these
castles had strong round or rectangular towers inside a stout wall. Wooden
houses were also constructed inside the walls. Castles in this Norman
style continued to be built up to the 15th century, when fortified tower
houses became the fashion. There are over 100 surviving castles in
County Clare.
Photos
of castles Map
of the castles of Clare (based on the Sites and Monuments Record created
by the OPW overlaid on the 1842 Ordnance Survey index map).