Ormonde Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ormond Castle |
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| Native name Caisleán Urmhumhan | |
Ormond Castle, with Tudor era manor house at rear.
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| Location | Carrick on Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. |
| Built | Mid 15th century |
| Official name: Carrick-on-Suir Castle | |
| Reference no. | 447 |
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Ormond Castle (Irish: Caisleán Urmhumhan) is a historic castle located in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. It sits right beside the River Suir. The oldest part of the castle you can see today is a walled area called a bawn, built in the mid-1400s. It has towers at its northeast and northwest corners.
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The Early History of Ormond Castle
The original castle was built before the year 1315. In that year, the powerful Butler family took control of it from the Wall family. James Butler later received the important title of the 1st Earl of Ormond. This made the castle a key home for the Butler family for many centuries.
The Manor House at Ormond Castle
Around 1565, Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde, spent a lot of time at the royal court in England. He was a cousin to Queen Elizabeth I. While in England, he grew to like the new Elizabethan style of buildings.
When he returned to Ireland, he added a beautiful Tudor-style manor house to Ormond Castle. This was the very first house of its kind in Ireland. It showed how new English styles were coming to Ireland.
A Difficult Time for a Guest
The manor house also played a small part in a sad story during the Elizabethan era. At that time, the Catholic Church in Ireland was not allowed to practice openly. Archbishop Dermot O'Hurley was a guest at Ormond Castle in 1583. He was staying with the Earl of Ormonde.
While there, another nobleman, Baron Slane, met with the Archbishop. The Baron explained that he and his family were in great danger. To protect them, the Archbishop bravely agreed to go with the Baron and surrender himself at Dublin Castle.
Even though the Earl of Ormonde was a strong Protestant, he was very upset by this trick. He felt it was wrong that a guest in his home was arrested in such a way. He tried very hard to save Archbishop O'Hurley, but sadly, he could not.
Later Years of the Manor House
In the 1600s, the manor house was a favorite home for James Butler, known as the 'Great Duke of Ormonde.' However, after he passed away in 1688, the Butler family stopped living there.
The castle remained with the Butler family until the mid-1900s. In 1947, the Irish government took over the property. They worked hard to restore and preserve these important historic buildings.
Features of the Manor House
The manor house has many beautiful features. It has large windows with stone frames, called mullioned windows, on both floors. The central porch has special bay windows called oriel windows.
Inside, on the first floor, there is a long room called a gallery. This room has two grand stone chimney pieces. It also has a detailed ceiling and a decorative band, or frieze, made of Elizabethan plaster-work.
The manor house is shaped like a 'U' and surrounds a small courtyard. This courtyard is next to the castle's old walled area. The manor has two main floors and an attic with pointed roofs, called gables.
One of the most impressive restoration projects was the long gallery on the first floor. Its ceiling had mostly fallen down. This room, which once displayed beautiful tapestries, now has a magnificent limestone fireplace. It is dated 1565. The room also features plaster images of Queen Elizabeth I. She is shown with figures representing Fairness and Justice. It is said that she had promised her cousin, the Earl, that she would visit Ormond Castle one day.
Other Places Named Ormond
- Ormond Plantation House in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, USA — This house was named Ormond by Colonel Richard Butler, who owned it from 1805 to 1819.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Ormonde para niños
