Rockstown Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rockstown Castle |
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Rockstown Castle, 2009.
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| Location | 3 miles (5 km) south of Ballyneety, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Reference no. | N22(35) |
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Rockstown Castle (in Irish, Caisleán Bhaile na Carraige) is an old, ruined tower house in County Limerick, Ireland. It was built a long time ago, during the Middle Ages.
You can find this historic castle near the village of Ballyneety. It is about 7 miles (11 km) away from the city of Limerick.
What Rockstown Castle Looks Like
Rockstown Castle is a tall, square building. It stands on a rocky hill behind the ruins of Rockstown House. This castle has five floors! Most of it is still standing, but some parts are damaged.
Castle Defenses
Near the main door, you can still see parts of a machicolation. This was a cool feature that let defenders drop things on attackers below! The castle also has many narrow openings called defensive slits. These slits allowed archers to shoot arrows out while staying safe inside. Some of these slits have square tops, while others on the upper floors have a fancy ogee (S-shaped) top. Right in front of the entrance, there's a trench cut into the rock.
Inside the Castle Tower
The first floor of the castle is now missing. However, the ceiling above it is vaulted, meaning it has a curved, arched shape. The windows in the corners of this floor have deep openings.
A spiral staircase winds its way up through the castle. Narrow slits in the walls let light into the stairway. Some of these slits even have "slopstones," which are slanted stones to drain water. The rooms inside are quite large, with smaller rectangular rooms leading off the staircase.
Upper Floors
On the second floor, there's an open fireplace in one corner. The ceiling above this floor is also missing. The third floor has another vaulted ceiling. You can still see the strong hinge stones at the doorways leading from the stairs.
The top floor has three arched windows. These windows have deep, rounded openings. Two of them have two sections, and the third might have been similar, but it's very ruined now. There are also some other narrow windows. The roof of the castle is gone, but you can see some corbels (stone supports) that used to hold it up. A small tower rises even higher in one corner of the roof.
