Ballinafad Castle, Elizabethan blockhouse in County Sligo, Ireland
Ballinafad Castle is a three-story fortification built in the late 1500s in County Sligo, featuring four corner towers and a central residential block. The structure sits strategically positioned between two lakes on elevated ground near an old road.
An English military officer built this stronghold in the 1590s during a major conflict between English forces and Irish rebels. The founder remained in residence for several decades until the fortress was eventually abandoned.
The fortress sits on an ancient trade route that connected two important regions, reflecting the military needs of English settlers during this period. Visitors can still see how the buildings and towers were arranged to control the surrounding landscape.
The ruins sit on a hillside and can be visited free of charge through a small metal gate at the base of the slope. A simple parking area below provides access to a footpath leading up to the site.
The north tower still shows remains of a wooden spiral staircase that once connected all three floors of the structure. This type of interior feature was uncommon in fortifications of that era and suggests the original building maintained higher comfort standards.
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