Rathfarnham Castle, Fortified château in Rathfarnham, Ireland

Rathfarnham Castle is a white, multi-storey stone house in Rathfarnham, South Dublin. The taller main block has a flat roofline edged with brick chimney stacks and two small stone urns at the corners; a curving stone staircase with a metal railing leads up to its doorway. A lower white wing with a dark grey roof extends to the left. The 18th-century work replaced the battlements with a coping and ornamental urns and added a semicircular east extension and a north entrance porch approached by steps.

Archbishop Adam Loftus built this fortified residence in 1583 on land taken from the Eustace family during the Elizabethan period. The construction marked English expansion of control over Irish territories at that time.

The interior displays family portraits painted by known artists spanning centuries of residence. These works reveal the tastes and connections of the families who called this place home.

The grounds are accessible on foot via marked pathways, allowing visitors to explore the exterior and surrounding gardens at their own pace. Wear comfortable shoes as the interior involves stairs and uneven surfaces.

The 1838 account records that the great hall was entered from a terrace through a portico of eight Doric columns supporting a dome painted in fresco with the signs of the Zodiac. Three stained-glass windows lit the room, one bearing the Loftus arms with quarterings.