Cahir Castle, Norman fortress in County Tipperary, Ireland

Cahir Castle is a stone fortress built on an island in the River Suir, featuring a central keep surrounded by defensive walls and towers arranged in multiple courtyards. The construction creates layers of protection, with each courtyard serving as another barrier for potential attackers.

Cahir Castle was built from 1142 by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond, on an island in the River Suir near an earlier stone fort called a cathair. The core structure dates to 13th-century work by the O'Brien family. In 1375 Edward III granted it to James Butler, newly created Earl of Ormond, and the Butlers enlarged and remodelled it between the 15th and 17th centuries. It was captured in 1599 after a three-day siege by the Earl of Essex and surrendered to Cromwell in 1650.

The name Cahir comes from the Irish cathair, a stone fort that stood here before the castle and gave the town its name. Visitors can see a model of the 1599 siege with almost 1,000 figures, and the castle has served as a filming location for Excalibur, Barry Lyndon and The Tudors.

The castle is easy to find from the town center and visible from a distance due to its island location. Inside, marked pathways guide you through the various rooms and towers, and the layout is manageable enough to explore fully during a single visit.

The round tower is known as the Garderobe Tower: its upper level sat above the latrines, and clothes were hung there so the ammonia gases would kill parasites in the fabric. Inside, a model of the 1599 siege of Cahir Castle is displayed with nearly 1,000 figures.