Kilbolane Castle, Norman fortification in Milford, Ireland

Kilbolane Castle is a ruined lowland fortress on Kilbolane Hill, about 500 m north of Milford, County Cork. It was raised in the 15th or 16th century in the 13th-century Norman manner: high walls joined by circular guard towers and enclosed by a moat, comparable to Liscarroll and Ballincollig. The south tower and west wall survive, cared for by the Office of Public Works.

Kilbolane Castle was built in the 15th or 16th century in a 13th-century Norman style, likely as a stronghold of the De Cogans after the Anglo-Norman arrival. The land was held from the Bishop of Cloyne by 1291. It passed to the Earls of Desmond and the Fitzgibbons, was granted to Hugo Cuffe in 1587, and reverted to the Fitzgibbons through Sir William Power in 1590. Cromwell's army destroyed it in 1642, leaving two towers.

The Synan family tomb, inscribed with the date 1446, was moved into the new church when the old church was demolished; the castle grounds themselves were held from the Bishop of Cloyne, as recorded in the Pipe Roll of Cloyne of 1291.

The south tower and west wall are maintained by the government and visitors can explore these sections, though some areas may have limited access. Wearing sturdy shoes is wise since the grounds are uneven and the paths can be rough underfoot.

The east tower was bought by Captain John Nicholls, who built a single-storey house against the bawn wall and passed the property to his grandson John Bowen; Bowen began Kilbolane House at the end of the castle garden shortly after 1695. The ruins were purchased in 1897 by David O'Leary Hannigan JP, who had been vacant for some years.