Aughnanure Castle, Tower house in Oughterard, Ireland.
Aughnanure Castle is a six-story stone tower built near Lough Corrib, topped with crenellations and flanked by watchtowers. A double defensive wall surrounds the central keep to provide multiple layers of protection.
The O'Flaherty clan built this tower around 1490 to assert control over their territory. Sir Edward Fitton seized it in 1572, marking a major shift in who held power over the place.
The name comes from Irish words meaning yew forest, reflecting the woodlands that once defined this place. Today the castle still sits in a landscape shaped by what its builders valued and needed.
The castle is open for visits with access to interior rooms and stairs leading to the top of the walls. Wear comfortable shoes since the stairs are narrow and steep throughout the structure.
The castle's name, Caisleán Achadh na nIúr, means "Castle of the field of the yews"; a yew forest once stretched from the site halfway to Galway. The bawn is a double enclosure with a round watchtower, and the ruined banqueting hall keeps relief carvings of grapes and vines.
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