Enniscorthy Castle
About
The castle sits on Castle Hill above Abbey Square, a square-built tower house with a drum tower at each corner. The castle's own history begins with the Anglo-Norman grant of the Duffry, the territory that takes in Enniscorthy, to Robert de Quency, and runs through English armies, rebels and prisoners to the Roche family, the maltsters who were the last to live in it in the twentieth century. Inside are three floors of exhibitions, including a permanent room on Eileen Gray, the modernist designer who grew up at Brownswood just outside the town. Go down to the dungeon for the swordsman, a figure about a metre tall cut into the wall, probably in the late sixteenth century and probably by a prisoner. Then go up: the roof gives you the whole town, the Slaney and Vinegar Hill across the water. The visit is self-guided and takes about 45 minutes; walk-ins are welcome and tickets can be booked online.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Views from the rooftop over the town and the Slaney
- ✓The swordsman carved into the dungeon wall
- ✓Permanent Eileen Gray exhibition
- ✓Weekend guided tours
Tips
- →Weekend guided tours run at 1pm and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays; the castle's sister-site page says from Easter to September
- →The castle's FAQ says the lift is out of order for essential maintenance, so the upper floors and roof are stairs only for now
- →A Saver Ticket covers the castle and the National 1798 Rebellion Centre and is valid for six months, useful when the centre reopens in 2027
- →Parking is paid on-street; the railway station is about an eight-minute walk
