The Mystery Of An Abandoned Castle
For those of you who have been consistently reading laughter and luggage, you probably are aware of how much I love castles. For you those of you who are new here – I have a fascination with castles where it has now become a center point to our itineraries when we travel afar. I love the mystery of an abandoned castle.
Everything you look at can become a fairytale and you can get a story from everything you touch… Hans Christian Andersen
Castles fascinate me. Whether it is a magnificent structure that is restored and available for public exploring? Or a ruin at the edge of a field magically appearing in the middle of driving from point A to B. Both feed my soul with glorious awe. However, the abandon castles tap into a content of mystery where I want to find out more.
We have stumbled upon many impressive castles throughout our travels. Their history and struggles completely fascinating and filled with heartache. After reading more about castles and their history, it seems almost all have a bloody past, filled with battles, struggles, and death. In the quirky book – Crackin’ Castles (by Horrible Histories), the author writes an inciteful, yet humorous statement:
“It isn’t the dry and tumbling stones that people go to see. They go to see where people from the past lived and hear the strange stories that are told. A lot of those tales are quite horrible. We human beings seem to like being shocked by dreadful deeds, not the sweet stories. (Then he has a picture of a castle ruin with a sign stating ‘Site of grisly murder….. then another one next to it stating gift shop – this way’. “
One magnificent castle we toured was Trim Castle. It was the site of the movie Braveheart and it was a site to be seen. Stunning does not even describe its stature!
Trim Castle: Irelands largest Norman Castle built by a Lord with a bad reputation – Hugh de Lacy – a womanizer and eventually beheaded in the 12th century. Its structure stands significant and tall – in the centre of its stone wall protectively guarding the castle. It was a scene of much fighting, however – even after many centuries, it still stands tall and strong.
Although, we thoroughly loved exploring and learning about Trim Castle, we still prefer the ‘off the beaten path’ finds of abandoned castles. During our few fortunate travels to Ireland, we have stumbled upon quite a few castle ruins. Some easily accessible and some requiring a bit of a walk through a field or lane. Either way, spotting these finds and the sense of wonder about their history and tragic abandonment touches our souls. In the UK this summer, we searched high and low for some castle ruins, however those were not to be found – at least with our itinerary. We did come across some lovely restored heritage castle sites and they were magnficant. For us, it seems that castle ruins in Ireland were more accessible.
Side Note: Want to see a glimpse of some Off The Beaten Path sites? Click HERE.
Castle Ruins We Loved:
Carlingford Castle – (King John’s Castle) – Another castle built by Hugo de Lacy around 1190 overlooking the Irish Sea. King John seized it in 1210, but it was reclaimed by de Lacy in 1222. It is said to be haunted by a ‘white’ knight who was once in love with de Lacy’s daughter and died.
Kanturk Castle – A stunning castle nestled amidst a pictureesque setting of trees. Local legend states there is blood in the mortar – many died in the building of the castle and their bodies were disposed of within the castle walls.
Menard Castle – Perched on top of a grassy hill overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean – this ruin was picture perfect. In 1650, Cromwell’s Army attacked it leaving no occupants to survive. It was the last stand of any Irish resistance during the Irish Confederate Wars.
Unknown Castle between Galway and Trim. This ivy-covered beauty stood peacefully at the side of the road. I could not find the name of this castle, but I believe it has story to tell. It was between Galway and Athlone. I wonder if there was heartache? A Tragedy of some sort?
Clonony Castle – This privately owned, restored castle was an extraordinary discovery. This castle does have some amazing history to share. Independently owned – where the owner still lives there – it was once gifted to Thomas Boleyn by Henry VIII who had relations with 2 of his daughters – Anne and Mary. A long story short – tragedy and deception struck and both women were beheaded. Fun fact: The castle – interestingly enough – is currently up for sale.
Charleville Castle – This stunning castle was discovered while driving up a long tree-lined lane deep within 1700 acres of lush forest. Built in 1577 gifted to the Moore family from Queen Elizabeth I – it is said to be haunted by Harriet – the youngest daughter of the third Earl of Charleville who fell to her death while sliding down the banister. Fun fact – this castle is currently being used as the set site for an upcoming Netflix series.
These castles are full of mystery.
Who lived there?
What was the stature of the owner? Royalty? Townsmen? A Duke or Lord?
How old is the structure?
Is it haunted? If so, why?
Was there a battle here?
These questions caused me to dig in and begin reading about them. Their stories. They heartaches. Their tragedies. Their love stories.
Gazing upon them, I am often sad at the collapse of their beauty. Each stone fallen to the ground. The tumbling of their walls and the erosion of their foundation. A forgotten piece of history laid to rest in a field which was once thought to be strong, The preservation of these once masterpieces have now become the mystery of an abandoned castle for patrons and tourists like myself.
I would hope to believe there are more people like myself who love searching out castle ruins and abbeys. History is becoming a lost discipline. With everything so fresh and new and so fast at ones disposal, it is rare to see historical structures featured in today’s world. History and learning about what once occurred in faraway lands has a large importance on our lives today. Our ancestors paved the way for our existence today. Whether that was a battle between rivals resulting in a bloody death, the scandal of a forbidden love, or the definance of differing religions – each historical event led us to where we are today.
Sidenote: To read a past blog on the importance of history, Click HERE.
If I am fortunate to explore more areas plotted with castles – restored and abandoned alike, I will take in each structure with its good and its bad history and expand my knowledge of their legacies. The mystery of abandon castles will continue to pique my interest in any country I set foot in. (Although, I am partial to Ireland – it does hold a special place in my heart).
Have you had the opportunity to stumble upon a mysterious abandoned castle?
If so, click the link to the left and share. I’d love to know.
It just may inspire me to pack my luggage and head out to learn something new.
