Clara Castle, Kilkenny

<html> <head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-KP13P76FY9"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-KP13P76FY9'); </script> <STYLE>  </STYLE> <title>Clara Castle, Kilkenny</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#000000" text="#FFFF99"> <table width="800" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="10"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><div align="center"><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 001L.jpg" width="800" height="430"></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="368"> <div align="center"> <p><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 002s.jpg" width="390" height="259"></p> <p class="style10">South Wall </p> </div> </td> <td width="386"> <div align="center"> <p class="style8"><b><font size="5">Clara Castle </font></b></p> <p align="center" class="style3">Tower House</p> <p align="left"><span class="style9"><strong>On a recent trip to Kilkenny I decided to visit the ogham stones at <a href="Churchclara, Kilkenny.html">Churchclara</a> and this probable 16th century tower house two kilometres north of there. This castle, built by the Shortall family, turned out to be a hidden gem. It is one of Ireland's finest tower houses. The building is remarkably complete and was occupied up until 1905. Unfortunately I was unable to gain access on my visit but have since learnt that access is by appointment only.</strong> <strong>The building has five storeys with a vault above the third floor. On the northside there is a a well defended fore-court. </strong></span></p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><div align="center"> <p><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 003L.jpg" width="800" height="300"></p> <p align="left" class="style6"><span class="style9"><strong>The inside of the tower was protected with a murder-hole and above the doorway is a fine machicolation, pictured below right. There are a large number of openings or defensive loops through which muskets could be fired at various angles. A spiral staircase gives access to the upper floors.</strong> <strong>Hopefully we will have photographs of the interior in the near future. </strong></span></p> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center"> <p><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 006s.jpg" width="390" height="259"></p> <p class="style9"><strong>Irish crenellations </strong></p> </div></td> <td><div align="center"> <p><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 005s.jpg" width="390" height="259"></p> <p class="style10">Machicolation</p> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div align="center"> <p align="left"><span class="style12"><b>Situated: From Kilkenny take the Dublin Road (not the N10) for 2.3 kilometres. Go through the roundabout onto the R 712 for 4.8 K then take a left turn (not signed). </b><strong>At T-Junction turn right. After approx 2k turn left and then right. </strong></span></p> <p align="left" class="style8"><b>Discovery Map 67: S 5734 5792. Last visit May 2014.</b></p> <p align="left" class="style8"><strong>Longitude: <strong>7° 9' 8"</strong> W</strong></p> <p align="left"><span class="style4">Latitude:  <strong>52° 40' 10" </strong>N</span></p> <p align="left"><strong><font color="#FFFF99"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&11=52.836788,-6.773758&spn=0.223573,0.582962&z=11&msid=110170022048891024386.000448dd18a7e1bad60aa"></a></font></strong><strong><font color="#FFFF99"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110170022048891024386.00047a25c5316ab234ee9&ll=52.403653,-7.26207&spn=0.000861,0.002055&z=19&iwloc=00047a25e5c6399ceee70" target="_blank">Google Map</a></font></strong></p> <p align="left" class="style11">Photos: Jim Dempsey.</p> </div> </td> <td> <p align="center"><img src="Kilkenny/Clara Castle 004s.jpg" width="390" height="259"></p> <p align="center" class="style9"><strong>Entrance to the bawn </strong></p></td> </tr> </table> <p align="center"><b><font color="#FF6633"><font color="#000000"><font color="#FF6633"><font color="#000000"><font color="#FF6633"><a href="Churchclara, Kilkenny.html">Previous</a></font></font></font>----<font color="#FF6633"><a href="index.html" target="_parent">Home</a><font color="#000000">-----</font></font></font><a href="Clomantagh Castle, Kilkenny.html">Next Page</a></font></b></p> </body> </html>

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Clara Castle, Kilkenny