Lea Castle, Medieval fortress in County Laois, Ireland
Lea Castle is a medieval ringwork in County Laois featuring a four-story central tower and two underground vaults beneath it. Stone wall sections still line the banks of the River Barrow, marking where the defensive perimeter once stood.
Maurice Fitzgerald built the first wooden defenses here around the start of the 1200s, and stone structures replaced them later. The shift to stone construction marked a change in how the region was controlled by Anglo-Norman rulers.
The castle shows how Anglo-Norman settlers built their strongholds by combining timber and stone methods. The way the walls curve along the river reflects how medieval builders used water as a natural defense.
The ruins stand on private land owned by the Callanan family, so you need permission to visit the site. It is best to contact the owners ahead of time rather than show up unannounced.
Richard de Burgh, a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman, was held prisoner here for months by the Fitzgerald clan in the 1290s. His release came only after Parliament stepped in to negotiate, showing how central this fortress was to regional power struggles.
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