County Cork - Belvelly Castle - 20210727132541

Belvelly Castle is a 14th or 15th-century

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

, Ireland. It is situated next to the small village of Belvelly, opposite and overlooking the only road bridge connecting

Fota Island Fota (statutory spelling Foaty; ga, Fóite) is an island in Cork Harbour, Ireland, just north of the larger island of Great Island. Fota Island is host to Ireland's only wildlife park – as well as the historical Fota House and gardens and go ...

Great Island Great Island () is an island in Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee and close to the city of Cork, Ireland. The largest town on the island is Cobh (called Queenstown from 1849 to 1922). The island's economic and social history has hist ...

(on which the town of Cobh is situated). The castle was originally built by and for the

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

Hodnett family, but was taken by the De la Roch (Roche) and De Barra (Barry) families in the 14th century. The Hodnetts later however leased-back their lands. Some sources suggest that

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebelli ...

occupied the castle in the 16th century, before being reoccupied by the De Barra family, and used by

Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery (25 April 1621 – 16 October 1679), styled Lord Broghill from 1628 to 1660, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England at various times between 1654 and 1679. Boyle fough ...

to garrison troops during the Irish Confederate Wars in the mid-17th century. By the 19th century the castle had fallen into ruin. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the castle received an increase in visitors when local

coachmen A coachman is an employee who drives a coach or carriage, a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of passengers. A coachman has also been called a coachee, coachy, whip, or hackman. The coachman's first concern is to remain in full ...

brought sailors docked at nearby Queenstown (Cobh) to the castle - reputedly under the impression that they were actually visiting

Blarney Castle Blarney Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of th ...

and its

Blarney Stone The Blarney Stone ( ga, Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from Cork (city), Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows th ...

. The castle was occupied and somewhat modified by the

Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...

during the Emergency (1939-1945). The castle was sold in the early 21st century, with

planning permission Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building per ...

granted in early 2016 for restoration for use as a private dwelling. This redevelopment was completed in late 2018, with additional artworks positioned on the roof of the tower house. The castle's owners are among the sponsors of local football club Cobh Ramblers FC.

References

External links

* Castles in County Cork Tower houses in the Republic of Ireland {{Cork-geo-stub

See also

References

External links