Dunguaire Castle and its stories
I know why old Irish castles and towers stand on picturesque sites on the edge of the sea or on hillsides. Yes, our ancestors probably admired the views like we would do nowadays, but for them the main purpose was safety. Their homes required prominent positions because they needed to be able to see their enemies advancing from a long way off. It was vital they had time to prepare for an attack. Dunguaire Castle, near Kinvara and situated on the rocky coastline of Galway Bay, is a perfect example.
Dunguaire was built as a tower house in the 16th century, modelled on the Norman Keep. It was a practical fortified house into which families and friends retreated when the enemy arrived.
Dunguaire was built by the O’Hyne clan in Galway
The tower house was built in 1520 by the O’Hyne clan. They rather romantically named it after a legendary Irish king, Guaire Aidne, nicknamed ‘Guaire of the Extended Hand’ because he was renowned for his generosity and hospitality towards others. Can you picture his visitors arriving on the shore by boat in the 600s to be greeted by him and welcomed inside to a roaring fire and an Irish banquet?
The Martyn Family were descended from the Normans
When the 17th century arrived, Dunguaire fell into the hands of the Martyn family. The Martyns were originally Normans from France but had integrated into Irish society and held prominent positions in Galway. Some became mayors of Galway city and one was responsible for the building of the famous Spanish Arch, which was originally an extension of the 12th century Norman town.
Spanish Arch in Galway City was built by mayor William Martyn in 1584 and stands along the bank of the Corrib River.
The arrival of Oliver Cromwell
In the 1650s, Richard Oge Martyn (Oge meaning ‘young’ in Irish) was living at Dunguaire Castle and he still held allegiance to the crown during the English Civil War, but was fortunate not to be charged with treason when Oliver Cromwell seized control. Richard managed to hold onto his land and his head. Cromwell, who caused such bloodshed and devastation in Ireland, thankfully wasn’t interested in destroying Dunguaire. It was in the wrong province. There’s a famous saying which is attributed to Cromwell when he snatched castles and land from Catholic Irish inhabitants, and either killed them or banished them to the west of the country. He instructed them to go “to hell or to Connaught”.
Transplanting catholics to Connaught cleared the way for Protestants to settle in the more fertile and valuable lands of the south and midlands of Ireland. Oliver Cromwell paid and rewarded his British army captains with land wrenched from the Irish he defeated. Many of those Cromwellian families are still living in Ireland today and they’ve mellowed over the centuries!
Dunguaire Castle is on the shore of Galway Bay.
An Act against Cruelty to Animals
Another Richard Martin (the family changed the spelling of their surname in the 17th century) was famous for sponsoring the first law in Britain in 1822 against cruelty to animals and apparently the King named him “Humanity Dick” for his compassion.
The Irish Celtic Revival in literature and culture
The early twentieth century arrived and Dunguaire Castle became a meeting place for members of the Irish Celtic Revival. W B Yeats, Lady Gregory, J M Syne, George Bernard Shaw and Oliver St John Gogarty would meet in the tower house in Galway to discuss Irish literature, art and culture. W B Yeats was fascinated by old King Guaire’s legacy and connection to the place. He referenced him in a poem called ‘The Three Beggars’.
Edward Martin, owner of Dunguaire Castle, died in 1922 and Oliver St John Gogarty bought it. Gogarty was a larger than life character: an author, poet, surgeon and politician, he was immortalised in ‘Ulysses’ by James Joyce. He knew how to enjoy himself and have a good time, by all accounts. But in 1939, Gogarty emigrated to America and Dunguaire changed hands again.
Dunguaire Castle is now open to the public for tours and banquets
Eventually Shannon Heritage bought the property and it is now open to the public during the tourist season from April to October. You can admire the view over Galway Bay, go on a tour of the castle, listen to stories and even sit down to an Irish banquet. I had a look at the menu and it looks tasty. Here’s the website, if you wish to find out more: https://www.dunguairecastle.com/
Suzanne Winterly is the author of mystery and dual timeline historical mystery novels set in the late 19th century and in the present. More details below:
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