Burnchurch Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burnchurch Castle |
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| General information | |
| Type | tower house |
| Location | County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°34′33″N 7°17′49″W / 52.575930°N 7.296923°W |
| Construction started | 15th century |
| Reference #: | 321 |
Burnchurch Castle is an amazing old building from the 15th century. It's a type of strong house called a tower house, built by the Normans. You can find it in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It's really well-preserved, meaning it's still in great shape for its age!
This castle, along with its round gate tower, a nearby church, and some lime trees, became a special protected site called a National Monument in 1993. This means it's an important part of Ireland's history and heritage.
People believe the Fitzgerald family, from the house of Desmond, built and owned the castle in the 1400s. It was lived in for a very long time, right up until 1817. The castle is about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) southwest of Kilkenny city. It's also close to Kells Priory, another cool historical site.
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Exploring Burnchurch Castle's Design
Burnchurch Castle is quite tall, standing six stories high. It has a unique design with many secret passages and rooms hidden inside its thick walls. Imagine exploring all those hidden spaces!
Originally, there was a large hall attached to the outside of the tower. There was also a walled courtyard, called a bawn, with a tall tower in one corner. These parts are mostly gone now, but old drawings show what they looked like.
Hidden Rooms and Passages
Many tower houses have secret rooms and passages built into their walls. But Burnchurch Castle has an unusually large number of them. It's like a maze inside!
Below the main part of the castle, there's a vaulted room. The main living area is just above this, right under the gabled roof. You can find many narrow rooms within the walls, including a "secret room" on the fourth floor.
Cool Features to See
You can still access the top three floors of the castle's smaller tower using a curved outdoor staircase. The castle also has special windows called mullioned windows. Look out for the beautifully carved fireplace inside. It has a unique arch and a tall, round chimney, which might have been added later.
Burnchurch Castle is similar in size to Clara Castle in Clara. However, Burnchurch is special because two of its walls extend up an extra story. This creates two tall, narrow towers at the very top, with their own rampart walls. Both Burnchurch and Clara castles are great examples of the unique stepped battlements found on Irish castles.
The castle is known for these slightly narrower sides that go up an extra floor, making it look like it has a pair of tall turrets on top.
Images for kids
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Burnchurch Castle
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Burnchurch Castle & Turret
