Temple House, Georgian manor and castle estate in County Sligo, Ireland

Temple House is a Georgian mansion overlooking the ruins of Templehouse Castle, a rectangular keepless castle built in 1181 near Ballinacarrow outside Ballymote, County Sligo. The house was originally built around 1825 and substantially extended around 1864 with a seven-bay block added at right angles to the existing five-bay block. It stands on an estate of over 1,000 acres and now operates as a country guest house.

The lands were granted to the Knights Templar in 1216 and passed to the Knights Hospitaller in 1311. The castle was converted into a residence in 1627 and badly damaged in a siege in 1641. The Perceval family acquired the property in 1665 through George Perceval's marriage to a Crofton heiress. Colonel Alexander Perceval rebuilt the Gothic house around 1825; after his death it was sold, then bought back by his son Alexander, who had made a fortune in China and added a seven-bay block around 1864.

The Perceval family has lived on these lands since 1665, when George Perceval acquired the property by marriage to a Crofton heiress. The house, filled with heirlooms, remains a family home and now provides tourist accommodation. The castle ruin by the lake is known in Irish as Caisleán.

The house can accommodate up to 30 guests split between the main house and a self-catering cottage on the grounds. Access is best by car, as the location is rural and public transportation options are limited in the area.

The castle ruin beside the house is keepless: a rectangular structure without a donjon, raised in 1181 at Ballinacarrow. It was turned into a dwelling in 1627, then besieged and badly damaged in 1641, which is why only ruins overlook the lake today.