Built in the 1870s by the O’Hara family, the castle replaced an earlier 17th-century fortified house that had belonged to the Kirwan family, one of the fourteen merchant tribes of Galway. The current structure showcases the Victorian era’s romantic fascination with medieval architecture, complete with crenellated towers, pointed arch windows, and elaborate stonework that wouldn’t look out of place in a Gothic novel.

The castle’s history reflects the broader changes in Irish land ownership during the 19th and early 20th centuries. After passing through several prominent Anglo-Irish families, including the Blakes and the O’Haras, the estate eventually came under the control of the Irish Land Commission in the 1920s. The Commission, established to redistribute land from large estates to tenant farmers, divided much of the surrounding property amongst local families as part of Ireland’s post-independence land reforms.

Today, Cregg Castle remains privately owned and stands as a well-preserved reminder of Ireland’s complex architectural and social history. The building combines authentic medieval elements from its predecessor with Victorian Gothic Revival additions, creating a unique structure that tells multiple stories about Irish heritage. While not open to the public, the castle can be glimpsed from nearby roads, its grey stone towers rising above the Galway countryside; a testament to centuries of changing fortunes, architectural tastes, and the enduring appeal of castle living in the west of Ireland.