Carrigaholt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carrigaholt
Carraig an Chabhaltaigh
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Village
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Carrigaholt Castle as seen from the main town area
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 Carrigaholt
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Clare |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | Q841518 |
Carrigaholt (which means "rock of the fleet" in Irish) is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland. It also has a famous castle and a Catholic parish named after it. Until 1956, this area was officially a Gaeltacht, meaning it was a community where people mainly spoke Irish.
Contents
Where is Carrigaholt Located?
Carrigaholt is found at the mouth of the Moyarta river. This river flows into the wide River Shannon estuary. The village is about 15 kilometers from the very tip of the Loop Head peninsula. It's also about 10 kilometers from the popular town of Kilkee, which is on the north coast of the peninsula. A ruined castle stands proudly here, watching over the Shannon's entrance and the local fishing pier.
What is the Economy Like in Carrigaholt?
Fishing is still a big part of life in Carrigaholt. A few boats bring in their catches to a local company that processes the fish. The village is also a central spot for the nearby farming community.
Recently, tourism has become important for Carrigaholt. Many visitors come from Limerick, which is about 110 kilometers to the east. The village has two restaurants, a fast-food place, and four pubs. Some pubs offer live music, especially during the busy summer months. There is also a holiday caravan park close by for visitors.
Fun Activities and Businesses
A local company called Carrigaholt Dolphin Watch offers boat trips. You can go out to see dolphins in the mouth of the Shannon River. This area is home to one of the largest groups of dolphins in Europe!
The Carrigaholt Sea Angling Centre provides fishing trips for up to eight people. They use a special boat built just for fishing. You might catch fish like ray, conger eels, bass, dogfish, tope, cod, pollock, hake, and turbot.
Other things to enjoy in Carrigaholt include a beach perfect for swimming and watersports. There are also two piers and local shops where you can buy food and other things you need.
Community Facilities in Carrigaholt
The Carrigaholt parish also includes the area of Doonaha. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.
The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Carrigaholt was built a long time ago, between 1832 and 1833. There is also a school right in the village.
Coláiste Eoghain Uí Chomhraídhe is an Irish college located about one mile west of Carrigaholt. It was started in 1912. Students from all over Ireland come here every summer to learn and improve their Irish language skills.
Carrigaholt Castle: A Look Back in Time
Carrigaholt Castle was built around 1480 by the McMahons. They were important leaders of the Corcabascin Peninsula. The castle stands at the end of a fishing pier, looking out over the Shannon Estuary and the harbor. It is a tall, well-preserved five-story tower house. It is surrounded by a bawn, which is a walled courtyard. The castle has special features like murder holes (openings to drop things on attackers) and a bartizan (a small turret). A spiral staircase goes up to the top, where there used to be a stone vaulted roof.
Castle History and Ownership
In September 1588, Teige Caech "the short sighted" McMahon lived in the castle. At that time, seven ships from the Spanish Armada anchored at Carrigaholt. Even though the McMahons didn't help the Spanish, the castle was still attacked shortly after by Sir Conyers Clifford. He was the Governor of Connaught.
The next year, Donagh O'Brien, the fourth Earl of Thomond, captured the castle after a four-day attack. Sadly, he broke his promise of safety and hanged all the people defending the castle.
Ownership then went to Donagh's brother, Donal O'Brien. He added many of the windows you see today and also the fireplace on the fifth floor. This fireplace has the date 1603 carved on it. Donal's grandson was the famous third Viscount Clare. He lived at Carrigaholt and created a group of soldiers called the "Yellow Dragoons" for King James II of England.
Later, the castle and its large estate (about 230 square kilometers) were taken by the Williamites. The Burton family then bought the castle. The Burton family were the last people to live in the castle, leaving it in the late 1800s.
Today, the Office of Public Works takes care of the castle. It is mostly a shell of its former grand self, but it still stands as an important historical site.
Gallery
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Carrigaholt Castle and its surrounding bawn wall. You can see a round tower in the front.
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Carrigaholt Castle as seen from the sea side.
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A side view of Carrigaholt Castle.
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The Carrigaholt Post Office building.
