Askeaton Castle

PricingFreeFree for all visitors

Free entry for everyone

Entry

Free for everyone

Pricing details

Closed until further notice for conservation works; the castle is seen free from Main Street, the bridge and the quay. When last open (2022) entry was free by guided tour. No membership card is needed.

ParkingNo car park

Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.

Parking details

OPW names no car park. The castle stands on its own island in the River Deel in the middle of Askeaton, on the N69, reached by the road bridge; OpenStreetMap shows unnamed car parks on The Quay about 280 m north and west of the castle about 200 m away, without a tariff or official name.

Driving pin: OPW's own pin at the castle gate on Main Street by the bridge, the best place to see the castle from outside.

About

In the heart of Askeaton, the remains of a great medieval fortress rise from a rock in the River Deel, on an island reached by the road bridge. William de Burgo built the first castle here in 1199, and after 1348 it became the power base of the earls of Desmond. In 1579 it held out against Sir Nicholas Malby, helping to spark the Second Desmond Rebellion. The banqueting hall, built by the 7th Earl of Desmond in 1440, is counted among the finest medieval secular buildings in Ireland, and the partly ruined tower still has fine windows and a medieval fireplace. Inside the site, an early 18th-century building was used by a Hellfire Club, rumoured to be a den of drink and mock ritual. OPW has been conserving the castle for many years, and it has been closed to visitors since 2023 with no reopening date. It can be seen from Main Street, the bridge and the Civic Trust patio, and the Franciscan friary 400 m north is open.

ClosedPick a day for times and prices

Site Closed External View Only Opening Times Please note this site is currently closed.

Today, Saturday 24 October

Askeaton CastleClosed

Opening times may change at short notice.

OPW: 'Please note this site is currently closed.' Askeaton Castle has been closed to visitors since the 2023 season while OPW's conservation works continue, with no reopening date. When last open, in 2022, it was seen only on free guided tours of up to six people at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:00 from April to early November. The castle can be seen from Main Street, the bridge and, a 2026 visitor says, the patio of the Askeaton Civic Trust tourist office beside it. Recheck 1 April 2027.

No facilities; only assistance dogs are admitted when the site is open. Askeaton Friary, 400 m north along the Deel, is open all year.

Dogs: Only assistance dogs are admitted to the castle site (closed at present).

Photo: An aerial view of Askeaton Castle on its island in the River Deel, with the banqueting hall in front and the ruined tower beyond. Mike Mc Carthy, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Askeaton_Castle_South_West_view.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.