The Wonders of Dunguaire Castle
This historic castle was built in the 16th century by the Hynes clan, which is a group of people that inhabited the area since the year 662. It is located on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay in Ireland and is a fantastic tower house that is well known for its 75-foot tower and its grand defensive wall. Both the defensive wall and the tower have been redone and the castle is open to tourists during the certain seasons. When the castle is open to tourists, a medieval banquet is held nightly with performances of Irish literature and traditional Irish music. It is also one of the most photographed castles in Ireland.
One of the reasons that the Dunguaire castle is so widely popular when it comes to history is because it was the castle of Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin, who was the legendary king of Connacht. He was the king of Connacht at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power. The castle was purchased by Oliver Martin in the 17th century and it remained in his possession until the 20th century when it was purchased by Oliver St. John Gogarty. Gogarty was a famous poet and surgeon and he began a restoration of the castle. It then came to be a meeting place for members of the Celtic Revival, which was a movement, which dealt with Irish literature and art. A few of the more notable members of the Celtic revival that used dunguaire castle as a meeting place were W.B.Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Lady Gregory.
Today the castle is a tourist attraction that attracts thousand of people every year. One of the more interesting fables about the castle is that if a person stands at the front gate and asks a question, then they will have an answer by the end of the day. Dunguaire castle is a place of history and lore and it seems that the popularity of the castle will not cease any time soon.
