Narrow Water Castle, Tower house at Newry River bank, Northern Ireland
Narrow Water Castle is a three-story rectangular tower house situated on the bank of the Clanrye River, built with stone walls that include defensive features. The site also features a 19th-century mansion adjacent to the tower, which remains a private residence.
A Norman fortification was first built here by Hugh de Lacy in 1212, though the current structure dates from the 1560s when the Magennis family controlled the site. The tower underwent various modifications as ownership changed over the following centuries.
The castle exemplifies Irish tower house design, a building type that served local leaders as fortified homes across the region. You can see how these structures combined living quarters and defensive features in a compact stone tower.
The tower opens to visitors during the summer season, while the adjoining mansion is not accessible to the public. The riverside location makes it straightforward to find and visit, with nearby Newry providing services and facilities for travelers.
From 1744 to 1819, the castle's defensive enclosure housed a salt production facility, which was later converted to kennels in 1834. This surprising industrial use shows how such fortifications adapted to serve different economic purposes.
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