The Dinner Tradition That an Irish Pirate Queen Forced on a Castle — and It Never Ended
Inside Howth Castle near Dublin, an empty place is set at every meal — a 500-year-old demand from pirate queen Grace O’Malley. Here’s why.
Inside Howth Castle near Dublin, an empty place is set at every meal — a 500-year-old demand from pirate queen Grace O’Malley. Here’s why.
Grace O’Malley commanded Irish seas, ran a pirate fleet from Clew Bay, and once sailed to London to negotiate with Queen Elizabeth I herself.
Ireland’s castles hide a deadly secret above every entrance. Learn what murder holes were — and how ordinary people once defended their homes with them.
Irish tower houses — those squat stone towers rising from hillsides across every county — were homes for medieval families. Here is what daily life looked like inside their thick walls.
The Rock of Cashel didn’t just appear — legend says the Devil put it there. Discover the ancient Tipperary story behind Ireland’s most dramatic medieval skyline.
Ireland still has over 3,000 medieval tower houses standing. Discover who built these private castles, what daily life looked like inside, and how to find them on your visit.
Inside Leap Castle in County Offaly, workers once found three cartloads of human bones. Discover the dark history of Ireland’s most haunted castle.
Dún Aonghasa on Inishmore is a 3,000-year-old stone fort built at the edge of a 100-metre cliff — with no wall on the side facing the sea. The mystery has never been fully explained.
Experience the magic of the Bunratty Castle medieval banquet in County Clare — a 600-year-old great hall, mead, music, and entertainment every night.
Every year, millions of visitors photograph Kylemore Abbey…