Built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan on the shores of Galway Bay near Kinvara, its name means 'the Fort of Guaire', after the legendary 6th-century King of Connacht, Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin. The castle later passed to antiquarian Oliver St John Gogarty in the 20th century and hosts medieval-style banquets today.
Visiting Dunguaire Castle
Yes, seasonal tours and evening banquets
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Dromoland Castle, 41.81 km away in Newmarket-on-Fergus — 16th-century-origin castle, ancestral seat of the O'Briens of Dromoland (descended from Brian Boru), rebuilt after the family submitted to Henry VIII.
Dromoland Castle
Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare · 5-star / luxury
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