Thoor Ballylee, Medieval tower house in Gort, Ireland

Thoor Ballylee is a four-storey tower house of rough grey-brown stone, built in the 15th century by the de Burgo (Burke) family near Gort, County Galway. Its flat-topped walls rise without a roof, and four windows sit in a vertical line on the visible face, from a small opening near the top to a wide one at the base. Inside, one room per floor is linked by a spiral stone stairway set into the seven-foot-thick outer wall.

The tower was built by the de Burgo family in the 15th century as a defensive stronghold that served the region for centuries. In the early 20th century, poet W.B. Yeats purchased the building and transformed it into his summer residence, shifting its purpose from military to artistic use.

The tower served as a retreat where Yeats found inspiration between his urban literary life and rural surroundings. The setting reflects the connection between artistic work and country living in early 20th-century Ireland.

The tower is open to visitors during warmer months and accessible on foot through the surrounding grounds. Good walking shoes are recommended since visiting involves climbing stairs and navigating uneven terrain on the property.

A tablet on the wall commemorates Yeats's stay, and the tower holds a collection of his first editions and furniture. The adjoining miller's cottage was turned into a tea room and shop. A scene from John Ford's 1951 film The Quiet Man, with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara crossing a river, was shot beside the tower.