Drumgriffin Castle, Drumgriffin, Co. Galway
Drumgriffin Castle, Drumgriffin, Co. Galway
This fortification has been documented since at least 1574, when historical records show it belonged to one Ullig Rewgh. Today, only a modest section of the castle’s original structure remains; a stretch of wall measuring 5.8 metres in length and reaching a maximum height of 5.5 metres.
The surviving masonry offers few clues about the castle’s original design, with no visible architectural features such as doorways, windows, or defensive elements that might help reconstruct its former appearance. What we see now is essentially a fragment of what was once likely a more substantial stronghold, typical of the tower houses and fortified dwellings that dotted the Galway landscape during the late medieval period.
The castle’s elevated position, whilst modest, would have provided its inhabitants with strategic advantages, offering improved visibility across the surrounding countryside and a defensive benefit against potential attackers. Its documented existence in the late 16th century places it within a turbulent period of Irish history, when such fortifications served as both homes and defensive structures for the local gentry, caught between the competing powers of Gaelic chieftains and English colonial ambitions.