| Threecastles Castle | |
|---|---|
| Native name Caisleán Bhaile na dTrí Chaisleán | |
 | |
| Location | Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°10′54″N6°29′15″W / 53.18173°N 6.48738°W |
| Built | 1500s |
| Official name | Threecastles Castle |
| Reference no. | 491 [1] |
Threecastles Castle is a three-storey tower house situated near Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland. It is protected as a national monument.
Threecastles Castle is a rectangular three-storey tower house, with a stair turret projecting from the north east corner. [2] [3] The walls are four to five feet thick, and are faced with cut granite. The castle was built on an east facing slope overlooking a ford on the River Liffey, where stepping stones crossing the river were also marked on an early 20th century map. [4] With the damming of the River Liffey at Poulaphouca in 1940 and subsequent flooding of the valley, the river depth rose and is now too deep to cross. Much of the area south of the castle is now a flat marsh leading to the lakeshore.
The history of the castle is unclear, but it is believed that due to the castle's name there were more than one castle in the townsland. [2] Of the other two castles, the site of one is known from a 19th-century Ordnance Survey, the third castle's site is unknown. It was probably built by Lord Deputy Gerald Fitzgerald, 8th earl of Kildare, in the 16th century. It was the site of a number of battles in the 1500s. [4] Some sources speculate that the 'three' refers to the castle having three parts. [5]
Local historian Vincent Byrne recounts events that happened near the castle in 1538:
Glendalough is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead mine. Glendalough is also a recreational area for picnics, for walking along networks of maintained trails of varying difficulty, and also for rock climbing.
The River Liffey is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water and supports a range of recreational activities.
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains. The highest peak is Lugnaquilla at 925 metres.
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Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen, is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situated on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow.
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Hollywood is a village in west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is 15 km south of Naas on the Wicklow Gap road near its junction with the N81 road. It is known for its pre-1950s themed fair which takes place in August of every year. A population of less than 100 people registered in the 2002 Census, though the community draws from a larger area which consists of about 500 people.
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Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca, is an active reservoir and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterfall on its south-western end where the water exits the lake. The lake is also commonly known as the Blessington Lakes, even though there is just one.
Butterhill is a townland in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located near the town of Blessington.
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Rathmore, a village, civil parish and District electoral division in County Kildare, Ireland, is located at the western edge of the Wicklow Mountains in the barony of Naas North. The original settlement was at the southwest corner of the English Pale, serving an important function as a border fortress during the medieval period.
Athclare Castle is a Tudor tower house in the Dunleer area of County Louth in Ireland. Built in the 1550s, Athclare was built for the Barnewell family, and is typical of defensive architectural structures built in the Pale during the Tudor period in Ireland. Athclare has been extended and adapted in the centuries since its construction and is classified as a site of National social historical importance by the Irish National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Rath Turtle Moat is a ringwork and National Monument located in County Wicklow, Ireland.
St. Mark's Cross is a high cross and National Monument located in Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Blessington House, Blessington Manor, the Manor House of Blessington, or Downshire House (post-1789) was a large estate house in Blessington, County Wicklow built in 1673, and destroyed during the 1798 Rebellion. It was never rebuilt. At the time of construction, it was one of the largest late-17th century houses in the Kingdom of Ireland.
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