I decided to begin sharing a tiny morsel of my obsession with abandoned places and things by using my blog to post some of my adventures amongst them, for all of my fellow explorers out there and those on the internet hungry for a good discovery or history lesson.
Place: Ros Comáin Castle
Location: Roscommon, Ireland
Year built: 1269
Year abandoned: 1690
History: "The original castle at Roscommon was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford on lands seized from an Augustinian Priory – and a fortification was apparently needed to protect Anglo-Norman interests in the area: The new stronghold was besieged and partially destroyed by Connacht King Aodh O’Connor in 1272, then rebuilt (stronger and better) by the Anglo-Normans in the 1280s.
The view from the castle
When I said abandoned, I meant it was abandoned by PEOPLE, not by cows
Yes, that is Sarah and I atop one of the walls staging a battle. I can't exactly remember how I got up there.
Photo taken by: Ruth Lovin
Couldn't get through this gate, so I'm unsure where exactly it leads to
Another mysterious locked gate
Place: Ros Comáin Castle
Location: Roscommon, Ireland
Year built: 1269
Year abandoned: 1690
History: "The original castle at Roscommon was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford on lands seized from an Augustinian Priory – and a fortification was apparently needed to protect Anglo-Norman interests in the area: The new stronghold was besieged and partially destroyed by Connacht King Aodh O’Connor in 1272, then rebuilt (stronger and better) by the Anglo-Normans in the 1280s.
Fifty odd years later the O’Connor’s took again possession of Roscommon Castle and made it their own for around two centuries.
In 1569, however, Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland for Queen Elizabeth I, seized the castle and a few years later granted it to the new ruler of Connacht, Governor Sir Nicholas Malbie. Not contend with living in a sturdy, yet draughty and hopelessly outmoded pile of stone, Malbie started an ambitious re-building plan. The interior was totally remodelled and light was now admitted through large mullioned windows, inserted in towers and walls. Roscommon Castle effectively ceased to be a fortress and became a home.
Malbie also created walled gardens, parts of which can still be discerned (the wall at least).
Cromwellian forces took control of Roscommon Castle in 1641, four years later it fell to Confederate Catholics. After Cromwell re-took possession of the castle in 1562, its days were numbered – parts were simply blown up, the main fortifications destroyed. The final blow came during the Williamite Wars in 1690, when the remaining parts were burnt down and only a gutted shell remained – to be used as a quarry occasionally and generally decaying."
The view from the castle
When I said abandoned, I meant it was abandoned by PEOPLE, not by cows
Yes, that is Sarah and I atop one of the walls staging a battle. I can't exactly remember how I got up there.
Photo taken by: Ruth Lovin
Couldn't get through this gate, so I'm unsure where exactly it leads to
Another mysterious locked gate
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ReplyDeleteWow!! I say we get some people together and un-abondon this castle!! We can fix her up a bit, and make it a real Helm's Deep!
ReplyDeleteBut seriously. How is it that there's such a thing as an abandoned castle? It's not every day that one comes across an abandoned tool shed.
Incredibly cool that you got to go there.
Oh, it was indeed! In Europe, there is an over abundance of things like this. Often times, when they no longer have use for a building, they demolish the roof as their way of condemning the building, and then they just leave it. Why? No one knows. But I'm for it, because all the more available adventure spots for us! When we tour Europe, James, we will explore places like these.
ReplyDeleteI have a million more castles to post on here, by the way, if you like this stuff. :)