Ballycowan Castle, Medieval castle in County Offaly, Ireland
Ballycowan Castle stands beside a canal and features four barrel-vaulted chambers on its ground floor. The structure is topped by six visible chimney stacks that rise prominently from the roofline.
Thomas Morres built this castle in 1589 on the site of an earlier O'Molloy tower that had burned down in 1557. The new construction marked a shift from older fortifications toward residential structures.
The castle shows how Irish nobles combined living comfort with defensive capabilities. The building style reveals what mattered to wealthy families at that time.
The castle sits on private land, so access to certain areas requires permission from the property owners. Visitors should respect the property and ask before approaching the building.
The unusual arrangement of chimneys gave the building a local nickname: 3-2-1, with three grouped together, two side by side, and one standing alone. This distinctive outline makes it easy to spot when approaching the castle.
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