Built sometime in the 15th or early 16th century, Pallas Castle was originally home to the Burke family, one of the Norman dynasties that had established themselves as major landowners in Connacht following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. The castle’s strategic position allowed the Burkes to control the surrounding fertile lands whilst maintaining defensive advantages against rival clans and English crown forces.

The tower house itself is a typical example of late medieval Irish castle architecture; a rectangular stone structure rising four storeys high with thick walls designed to withstand siege warfare. Murder holes above the entrance, narrow arrow slits for defence, and a spiral staircase built into the walls all speak to the violent realities of life in medieval Galway. The castle changed hands multiple times over the centuries, passing through various branches of the Burke family and later to other local gentry, each leaving their mark through modifications and repairs that can still be traced in the stonework today.

Though now roofless and partially ruined, Pallas Castle remains an imposing presence in the landscape. The structure survived Cromwell’s campaign through Ireland in the 1650s, when many similar fortifications were destroyed, and continued to be inhabited into the 18th century before finally being abandoned. Today, ivy creeps up its weathered walls whilst cattle graze in the fields below, but the castle’s sturdy construction ensures it continues to stand as a tangible link to Galway’s turbulent medieval past. Visitors can freely explore the ruins, though care should be taken as the structure is unmaintained and potentially hazardous in places.