Ballycar Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland.
Ballycar Castle was a fortification located in County Clare between Limerick and Galway. Today only archaeological traces remain in the ground, with no standing walls or ruins visible at the site.
The castle was built before 1570 under Connor McHugh-McLoghlin-McNamara and changed hands several times in the following decades. It completely disappeared before the end of the 1800s.
This site once represented the power of local Irish lords and shows how such fortifications shaped the landscape. Walking here today helps you understand the role castles held in shaping community and territory.
The site is difficult to access since it sits in agricultural land and offers only archaeological traces to explore. Visitors should wear appropriate footwear and clothing for open terrain.
An artist named Thomas Dineley created detailed drawings of the castle in 1680 before it completely vanished. Those sketches remain the only visual record of how the structure once looked.
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