Moorstown Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moorstown Castle |
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Moorstown Castle, 2011.
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| Location | 6 miles (10 km) west of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Built | 15th century |
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Moorstown Castle is an amazing stone castle built in the late 1400s. It has a unique round tower and a strong walled yard. You can find it near Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland. This old castle gives us a peek into what life was like centuries ago!
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Discovering Moorstown Castle
Moorstown Castle is a cool example of a medieval building. It was built a long, long time ago, in the 15th century. That means it's over 500 years old!
Where is Moorstown Castle?
This historic castle is located about 6 miles (10 km) west of Clonmel. It's in County Tipperary, in the country of Ireland. While you can see it from the main road, it's actually on private land. The castle stands proudly on a grassy limestone hill.
Who Built Moorstown Castle?
Moorstown Castle was built by a man named James Keating. He was an important supporter of the Earl of Ormond, who was a powerful leader in Ireland back then.
Over time, the castle changed hands. In 1635, it went to Robert Cox through a special agreement. Later, it passed to the Greene family when someone married into their family. In 1855, Richard Grubb bought the castle. As of 2011, it was still owned by a private family.
It's believed that Geoffrey Keating, a famous Catholic priest, poet, and historian from the 1600s, might have been connected to the castle. Some evidence suggests he was a son of James FitzEdmund Keating of Moorstown.
What Does Moorstown Castle Look Like?
Moorstown Castle is made up of two main parts. There's a circular tower house, also called a keep. This was the main living area and strongest part of the castle. There's also a protective walled courtyard called a bawn. The bawn was probably built first, and the tower house was added later.
The bawn walls are made of limestone. They have two defensive towers, one in the southwest and one in the northeast. There's also a strong gatehouse where guards could live.
The tower house at Moorstown is quite special because it's round. Most tower houses in Ireland are square! This circular shape is found in a few other places in County Tipperary. The tower has four floors. Inside, there's a spiral staircase that connects the levels. The main living space was on the second floor. This floor has one larger window, but most of the castle's windows are small. The third floor might have been used to keep doves.
For defense, the castle has small openings called musket loops. These allowed defenders to fire muskets safely from inside. The building also has parapets, which are low protective walls along the roof. However, it doesn't have battlements, which are the notched tops you often see on castles.
