Lackeen Castle, Tower house in County Tipperary, Ireland
Lackeen Castle is a four-story tower house that rises from a rocky outcrop with distinctive medieval defensive features. The structure is protected by an inset doorway equipped with a murder hole and corbel stones for added security.
Lackeen Castle is a tower house within a bawn, built in the 12th century as a stronghold of the O'Kennedys and rebuilt in the 16th century. It is a national monument in state ownership in the townland of Abbeville near Lorrha, County Tipperary. Lackeen House, a country house dating from around 1730, stands close by.
The place served as a stronghold for the Kennedy family and held significance in the local community for generations. Visitors can see how the structure reflects the family's control over the surrounding area.
Entry to the site is possible through a farm gate in the east wall or via the west wall, offering multiple access routes. The location sits on private farmland, so checking local information beforehand and being respectful to the surroundings is advisable.
The Lorrha Missal, a sacramentary written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic, was found at Lackeen Castle in the 18th century, not during restoration. The old claim that book and shrine left Ireland around 1375 is now considered incorrect. The manuscript is held in Dublin as MS D II 3.
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