Castlepook, Medieval castle ruins in Doneraile, Ireland
Castlepook is a medieval castle ruin in Doneraile with stone vaulted roofs that remains on a rocky outcrop at the foot of the Ballyhoura Mountains. The site covers five acres of private land, located near other medieval structures such as Ballybeg, Ballyclogh, and Kanturk.
Geoffrey the Red of the Synan family built Castlepook in 1380 as a stone fortress on the southern edge of their territory. The St Leger family took control of the property in 1639 and retained it through later centuries.
The castle sits near the home where poet Edmund Spenser lived, and local tradition connects it to his literary works that may have inspired later English writers.
The site sits on private property and is difficult to access, so you should obtain permission beforehand and prepare for rough terrain. The best time to visit is during dry weather when the rocky ground is safer to traverse.
The Synan family paid an annual rent of one pound of pepper for the land from 1251 to 1541, an unusual fee maintained for nearly three centuries. This curious arrangement reveals how valuable exotic spices were in medieval times.
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