Monivea Castle, Stone fortification in County Galway, Ireland.

Monivea Castle is a stone fortification in County Galway surrounded by stone walls and five rows of beech trees that define the estate. Two gate-lodges control access to the main entrance, and the grounds feature woodland paths winding through Monivea Woods.

Monivea Castle began as an O'Kelly tower house built in the Norman style from rough stone. The ffrench family, one of the fourteen Tribes of Galway, later acquired it and enlarged the castle and its lands, raising fortifications around the original tower. By 1876 the estate covered 10,121 acres, and Kathleen ffrench inherited it before her death in 1938, when she left castle and estate to the Irish Nation.

The ffrench Mausoleum in Monivea Wood was commissioned by Kathleen ffrench for her father Robert Percy ffrench and designed by Francis Persse, brother of Augusta Gregory. Its Munich-style windows by Franz Mayer & Co. depict twelve of the fourteen Tribes of Galway, and a 1914 papal indult allowed Mass there on special occasions.

Access is managed through the gate-lodges, and visitors can walk the woodland paths to explore the surroundings and observe local wildlife. The grounds are best explored on foot, and sturdy footwear is recommended for the natural trails.

The estate underwent an unusual soil improvement process involving lime and sheep remains mixed into the earth to support plant growth. This historical farming method reveals the practical innovations farmers used to enhance their land.