Springfield Castle

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Springfield Castle ( Irish Caisleán na Ghort Tiobraide ) is a mansion in the village of Broadford near Newcastle West in Irish County Limerick .

description

The castle complex consists of a series of buildings arranged around a courtyard: two towers, one from the 15th and one from the 18th century, a few workshops and stables, and the modernized remains of a wing for the servants from the 18th century .

history

In 1280 the Norman FitzGerald family settled here; it was then called Gort na Tiobrad . The FitzGeralds married into the family of the local rulers, the Gaelic Ó Colleáin , and received the title of Lords of Clanoghlais . In the 15th century, their descendants had a stone donjon built. This recently restored tower contains a fine example of a staircase in an outer wall.

In the middle of the 17th century, the FitzGeralds granted the Irish poet Dáibhi Ó Bruadair (1625–1698) lodging and funding; he then wrote an eulogy about the family and recorded their lives and heroic deeds.

As the family prospered, a second tower was built in the 18th century to house a garrison.

In 1691, after their lands were confiscated by the King of England, the FitzGeralds left Springfield Castle and returned to France . William FitzMaurice , a younger son of the 20th Lord Kerry , bought the property. His son, John FitzMaurice , had a large, three-story mansion built in the early Georgian style that attached to the 13th century donjon. This mansion was burned down by the IRA in 1921 .

In 1780, Ann FitzMaurice , the sole heiress, married Sir Robert Deane, 1st Baron Muskerry . After the fire in 1921, Sir Robert Deane, 5th Baron Muskerry , had the wing rebuilt for the servants of the Georgian mansion and parts of other buildings renovated. The descendants of the family now live in this part of the building complex with 40 hectares of land and several lodges. Today the property is owned by Robert Deane, 9th Baron Muskerry .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ David O'Bruadair . In: Catholic Encyclopedia . New Advent. Retrieved March 18, 2019.

Web links

Coordinates: 52 ° 21 ′ 6.8 ″  N , 8 ° 57 ′ 21 ″  W.