| Oranmore Castle | |
| Native Name: | Caisleán Órán Mór |
| Native Language: | ga |
| Coordinates: | 53.2683°N -8.9351°W |
| Location: | Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland |
| Built: | 15th century |
| Owner: | Leonie Finn[1] |
| Type: | tower house |
Oranmore Castle is a castle in Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland.
Oranmore Castle was most likely built some time around the 15th century, possibly on top of an older fortified house.[2] The Clanricardes, a notable family from Galway, used it as a stronghold. In March 1642 the town, Oranmore, joined Confederate Ireland in a rebellion, against which the owners of the castle, the Marquess and the fifth Earl Clanricarde, held out.[2] Clanricarde supplied the Fort of Galway from the sea until 1643, when, without the Marquess's sanction, Captain Willoughby Governor of Galway surrendered.[2] [3]
While ownership was temporarily lost, the 6th Earl regained possession, and in 1666 leased the castle to Walter Athy, whose descendants kept control of Oranmore until 1853.[2] It was then abandoned.[4]
The castle, which had fallen into disrepair, was reroofed after Anita Leslie purchased it in 1947 for £200.[5] [6] Her daughter Leonie inherited the castle upon Anita's death. Leonie and her husband, Irish folk musician Alec Finn (1944-2018) have lived there since.[7]
The castle, a rectangular towerhouse, has four storeys, a square staircase turret, and gunloops on the bottom floor.[8]
Oranmore Castle was featured in the 23 March 2001 episode of Scariest Places on Earth.[4] It was also used for the shooting of Alfred the Great,[9] as well as a film location for the Jack Taylor film The Pikeman. The exterior of Oranmore Castle is seen in the TV series Reign, as a French donjon.