Carrickkildavnet Castle, Tower house on Achill Island, Ireland
Carrickkildavnet Castle is a stone tower on Achill Island off Ireland's west coast with multiple levels featuring vaulted ceilings and defensive walls. The structure overlooks the waterway between two large bays.
The tower was built in 1429 by the O'Malley family to assert their power over the western coast. It later served as a key base for a famous seafaring woman who wielded influence over the region's trade and politics.
The castle was home to one of the west coast's most powerful families and symbolized control over the sea passage. Visitors can still see how strategically the location was chosen to command ships and trade passing through.
The tower sits on an outlying island and is reachable on foot when tidal conditions allow. The best time to explore is at low water when access is easiest.
The tower is accessed through a single entrance, and inside sits a chamber with defensive loops for controlling ship passages. This unusual layout reveals how much the fortress was designed specifically to command sea traffic.
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