Ten castles in Ireland you can actually go inside, counted down from ten to one, with what to see, how long to allow and one mistake to avoid at each. No hotels, and nothing with the gate shut: we checked how each one opens.
Prefer to watch? The video above covers everything on this page.
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The order is our own countdown, by how much there is to see inside. It is not an official ranking. Opening dates change, so check each castle’s own page before you travel.
10. Aughnanure Castle, County Galway
A restored tower house near Oughterard in Connemara, run by the Office of Public Works. The O'Flahertys, Gaelic lords of west Connacht, built it in the late 15th century and held it for over 200 years.
Go in for the tower itself and the banqueting hall beside it, on a rock above the Drimneen River. Allow about an hour (our estimate).
The mistake to avoid: Coming in winter. In 2026 it is open from 27 February to 18 November, then closed.
Official page for Aughnanure Castle
9. Donegal Castle, County Donegal
A restored castle and manor house in the heart of Donegal town, above the River Eske. The O'Donnell chieftains built it in the 15th century. In 1616 an English captain, Sir Basil Brooke, took it over and built a manor house against the tower.
Look for his great chimney-piece, carved with fruit and his own coat of arms. Open all year.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving late. Last admission is at 4:15 pm.
Official page for Donegal Castle
8. Malahide Castle, County Dublin
A furnished castle in County Dublin, seen on a guided tour. One family, the Talbots, held Malahide from 1185 until the 1970s, with one break from 1649 to 1660 under Cromwell. The last of them had to sell to pay death duties.
The Great Hall dates to 1475 and is hung with Jacobite portraits. Guided tours of about 45 minutes run every day of the year except 24 to 26 December.
The mistake to avoid: Going straight to the castle door. Collect your ticket at the visitor centre first, and be 10 minutes early for your tour.
Official page for Malahide Castle
7. Dunluce Castle, County Antrim
A ruin on a cliff on the north coast of County Antrim: you walk through broken walls above the sea. The MacQuillans built it around 1500 and the MacDonnells seized it in the 1550s.
Walk through the castle, then through the excavated cobbled streets of Dunluce Town, founded in 1608. You will hear that the kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639; even the official guide calls that a tale. Open all year, weather permitting.
The mistake to avoid: Not checking the weather. In a storm the site can close.
Official page for Dunluce Castle
6. Ross Castle, County Kerry
A tower house on the shore of Lough Leane at Killarney. The chieftain O'Donoghue Mór probably built it in the 15th century. It was the last place in Munster to hold out against Cromwell's army.
The story goes that its defenders trusted a prophecy that the castle could only be taken by a ship, so the general launched a boat on the lake, and they surrendered. You can only go inside on a guided tour, 15 people at a time, first come, first served. In 2026 it is open from 5 March to 3 November.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving at midday in summer, or at all in winter.
Official page for Ross Castle · The full story of the Cromwell siege and the prophecy
5. Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim
A Norman castle on the shore of Belfast Lough, one of the best preserved medieval buildings in Ireland. John de Courcy began it soon after he invaded Ulster in 1177. It has been besieged by the Scots, the Irish, the English and the French, and the army did not leave until 1928.
Climb to the top of the keep, walk the walls, and look for the cannons. Allow a couple of hours.
The mistake to avoid: Coming on a Monday in winter. It is closed, and on the other winter days it shuts at 4 pm.
Official page for Carrickfergus Castle
4. Cahir Castle, County Tipperary
A castle on a rocky island in the River Suir, in the middle of Cahir town. It was built in the 13th century and became the stronghold of the Butlers. People believed it could not be taken, until 1599, when the earl of Essex turned heavy artillery on it.
Much of the original castle is still standing, and film makers have noticed: Excalibur was shot here, and The Tudors. Open all year except 24 to 30 December.
The mistake to avoid: Leaving it late on a winter afternoon. Last admission then is 3:45 pm.
Official page for Cahir Castle
3. Trim Castle, County Meath
The largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy began it in the 1170s, and he and his successors took 30 years to build it.
At its heart is a keep with 20 sides. You go in on a guided tour and look down into it from walkways. If it looks familiar, Braveheart was filmed here. The grounds are free; the keep is by guided tour.
The mistake to avoid: A big one: Trim Castle closes for works on 1 November 2026 and does not reopen until 1 April 2027. In summer, come early: the castle is busy and entry is not guaranteed.
Official page for Trim Castle · The full history of Trim Castle
2. Blarney Castle, County Cork
A tower house, and an unusually large one, five miles from Cork city, with walls 18 feet thick at the base. Cormac MacCarthy built it nearly 600 years ago.
You climb through it by narrow, steep stairs to the top, where the Blarney Stone is set. Kiss it, they say, and you will never be lost for words. Where the stone came from, nobody knows: the castle itself says the legends are "each as plausible as the next". Open all year. Keep time for the gardens.
The mistake to avoid: Expecting a booked time. There are no timed tickets and no lift, so come early.
Official page for Blarney Castle
1. Bunratty Castle, County Clare
A fully furnished tower house about 10 minutes from Shannon Airport, with a folk park beside it. The MacNamaras built it around 1425, and the O'Briens, later earls of Thomond, ruled north Munster from it. It was left to fall into ruin, until Lord Gort bought it in 1953, restored it and filled it with medieval furniture and art gathered from across Europe. It reopened in 1962.
This is the castle where you see how the rooms were lived in: the Great Hall, the bedrooms and the chapel. Allow an hour for the castle, and three to four hours with the folk park.
The mistake to avoid: Saving the castle for last. The final admission to the castle is at 4:00 pm, because the hall is being made ready for the evening banquet.
Official page for Bunratty Castle
Why some famous castles are not here
Dublin Castle is closed to the public until January 2027, while Ireland holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Kilkenny Castle is missing only because it was in our Top 10 places video. Looking for more? See our Complete Guide to Irish Castles, or compare this countdown with our 10 Best Castles to Visit in Ireland list.
The ten at a glance
| # | Castle | County | The mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Aughnanure Castle | Galway | Coming in winter |
| 9 | Donegal Castle | Donegal | Arriving late |
| 8 | Malahide Castle | Dublin | Going straight to the castle door |
| 7 | Dunluce Castle | Antrim | Not checking the weather |
| 6 | Ross Castle | Kerry | Arriving at midday in summer, or at all in winter |
| 5 | Carrickfergus Castle | Antrim | Coming on a Monday in winter |
| 4 | Cahir Castle | Tipperary | Leaving it late on a winter afternoon |
| 3 | Trim Castle | Meath | A big one: Trim Castle closes for works on 1 November 2026 and does not reopen until 1 April 2027 |
| 2 | Blarney Castle | Cork | Expecting a booked time |
| 1 | Bunratty Castle | Clare | Saving the castle for last |
Checked against each castle’s official page on 13 October 2026.
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Picture credits for the video
Every photograph and clip in the video is real and shows the castle named.
- Aughnanure Castle, tower house through the trees: Jennifer Young, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aughnanure Castle, the gatehouse entrance, close: Jack Edwards, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aughnanure Castle, path and wall beside the Drimneen River: Jo Turner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Aughnanure Castle, tower from the yard with visitors at the door: The original uploader was Miguev at English Wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
- Aughnanure Castle, tower and corner turret: Ybsocnna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Donegal Castle, the castle from the air, in the town: Ravenswood Photography, Pexels, Pexels License
- Donegal Castle, tower and Jacobean manor wing: Avramescu Marius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Donegal Castle, Brooke's carved chimney-piece: Avramescu Marius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Donegal Castle, the furnished hall with the chimney-piece: Avramescu Marius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Donegal Castle, the castle from the street with people: louise price, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Malahide Castle, the castle front with visitors: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Malahide Castle, the castle across the lawn: Barion McQueen, Pexels, Pexels License
- Malahide Castle, the studded front door, close: Jonjobaker, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malahide Castle, the entrance and Gothic window, close: Jean Housen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Malahide Castle, the path to the castle: Jean Housen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Malahide Castle, the castle in its parkland from above: Jonjobaker, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malahide Castle, the castle in sun: Cg.wiki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dunluce Castle, the ruin on its headland, grass moving in the foreground: Joshua Woroniecki, Pexels, Pexels License
- Dunluce Castle, visitors crossing the bridge into the ruin: Kent Wang from Barcelona, Spain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dunluce Castle, inside the roofless manor house walls: Barrowbob, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dunluce Castle, the cobbled yard inside the walls: Gareth James, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dunluce Castle, the castle on the Causeway Coast: Thomas Fuhrmann, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dunluce Castle, the ruin in evening light: Mark Slomkowski, Unsplash, Unsplash License
- Dunluce Castle, the gatehouse and walls from the mainland side: John5199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Dunluce Castle, the ruin from the approach: Mitch Oram, Pexels, Pexels License
- Ross Castle, the castle on the lake shore: Bob Jenkin, Pexels, Pexels License
- Ross Castle, tower house and bawn wall: Donovan Kelly, Pexels, Pexels License
- Ross Castle, a tour boat on Lough Leane seen from the castle: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Ross Castle, the castle with visitors on the path: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Ross Castle, the approach over the bridge: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, the castle from the harbour side at sunset: K. Mitch Hodge, Unsplash, Unsplash License
- Carrickfergus Castle, the keep seen from the outer ward: Otter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, Antrim Militia Artillery at the castle guns, 1897: HantsAV, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, the castle and harbour: Paul Jones58, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, a cannon on the battery: Giorgio Galeotti, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, visitors in the inner ward: Irid Escent, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, the wall walk and Belfast Lough: Irid Escent, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Carrickfergus Castle, the castle front: K. Mitch Hodge, Unsplash, Unsplash License
- Cahir Castle, the castle above the weir on the River Suir: John5199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Cahir Castle, curtain walls and towers: Millars, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cahir Castle, the keep over the river: Chris06, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cahir Castle, the portcullis from below: Kevin King from Pensacola, FL, US of A, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Cahir Castle, a cannon in the courtyard: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Cahir Castle, a furnished room in the keep: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Cahir Castle, walls from the park: Chris06, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trim Castle, looking down from the top of the keep on the walls and the Boyne: Sitomon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Trim Castle, the barbican gate: Olliebailie, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trim Castle, the Braveheart information board at the castle: Qwertzu111111, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trim Castle, the castle across the River Boyne: William Murphy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blarney Castle, the tower above the trees: Dahlia E. Akhaine, Pexels, Pexels License
- Blarney Castle, the castle in its gardens: Phil Evenden, Pexels, Pexels License
- Blarney Castle, looking up the tower wall: Raúl Corral, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blarney Castle, inside the tower, looking down through the floors: Carogonmu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blarney Castle, the Blarney Stone seen from below: Srleffler, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
- Blarney Castle, the castle gardens: David P Howard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bunratty Castle, the castle front: Michael Starkie, Unsplash, Unsplash License
- Bunratty Castle, the castle with Durty Nelly's from the south-east: DXR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bunratty Castle, the Great Hall with visitors and tapestries: Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bunratty Castle, the Jacobean bed in the South Solar: Bea y Fredi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Bunratty Castle, the Folk Park village street: Colin Park, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bunratty Castle, the castle at sunset: Niall cosgrove photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bunratty Castle, the castle among autumn trees: Dahlia E. Akhaine, Pexels, Pexels License
- Bunratty Castle, the castle behind summer flowers: Taylor Floyd Mews, Unsplash, Unsplash License
- Bunratty Castle, the Great Hall, wide: Suzanne Mischyshyn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bunratty Castle, the long table in the Main Guard: Arie M. den Toom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dublin Castle, the Upper Yard: ClickerHappy, Pexels, Pexels License
- 11 photographs from the Love Ireland licensed library (licensed for commercial use; no credit required).
- Maps drawn by Love Ireland from boundary data: © Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0; © Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, Open Government Licence v3.0
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