It's no secret that I love visiting castles and I'm blessed to live in a country that has an abundance of them. Cork is a county that offers a lot of historic sites and castles to visit, and while the most popular castles, such as Blarney Castle and Blackrock Castle require a fee for entry, there are lots of beautiful free fairytale castles to visit in Cork too. Here are some of my favourites that my family and I have visited so far.
Castle Donovan, Drimoleague, West Cork
Castle Donovan is a castle I had the pleasure of visiting recently and it really was like a fairytale. From the beautiful castle ruins - which you can climb up into to look at the ground floor, to the idyllic countryside setting it's placed in, it was everything that a fairytale castle was about for me. There was even a very friendly white horse in the field next to the castle which made our visit all the more magical! The castle dates from the 16th century. There's ample parking on the castle grounds, but if you park a little further down the road, you get a beautiful view of the castle and the stream by it with the hills in the background. It truly was a beautiful place and I can't believe it's free to visit. Castle Donovan is currently for sale for €200k, in case anyone is in the market to buy their very own Irish castle. I hope that it'll be kept open to the public.
Carriganass Castle, Kealkill, West Cork
Carrignass Castle is another great free castle to visit in Cork and is situated in a beautiful location next to a small river in Kealkill, West Cork. Carrignass Castle dates from the 16th century The castle is free to visit, but there is a donation box on the grounds if you'd like to contribute to the castle's upkeep. You can explore the castle and it's walls at your own leisure. A few short steps from the castle is a lovely picnic area by the river, so bring a picnic and enjoy beautiful views of this historic castle and the stunning Irish countryside.
Kilcrea Castle, Ovens, Cork
Kilcrea Castle is another great free castle to visit in Cork and it's a good one to visit alongside the stunning Kilcrea Friary, which is just across the road. To visit Kilcrea Castle you must enter via farmland, so please be respectful of the fields. The castle dates from the 15th century and is mostly in ruins, but some features of the castle still remain. Again, this castle is situated in a beautiful countryside setting and makes for a lovely place to visit along with the friary.
Glanworth Castle, Glanworth, North Cork
Glanworth Castle is a medieval castle, situated in the small village of Glanworth in North Cork. This castle is in a very picturesque setting, next to a river and the 'narrowest and oldest public bridge still in everyday use' in Europe. Access to the castle is through private property, so please be respectful when visiting. You cannot go inside the castle but can explore the grounds and castle walls to your heart's content.
Kanturk Castle, Cork
Kanturk Castle dates from the 15th century and has a rich history behind it, with it's original purpose being to be used a defence against the English. However, once the Privy Council heard about this, the completion of the castle may never have gone ahead. The castle has a lovely green area with trees too. So, after exploring the castle, which, despite having no floors now, has lots of fireplaces and windows on display, bring a picnic and indoor the outdoor area while looking back at this lovely castle.
These are just a handful of the beautiful castles and towers that are dotted around Cork and that are free to visit. Another lovely one is Mallow Castle, which also has deer right by it. As my family and I visit and explore even more of these castles and towers here in Cork, I will add to this list.
Happy exploring and enjoying these free to visit, fairytale castles in Cork.
If you're in need of even more inspiration on places to visit in Cork and in Ireland in general, explore my section on Ireland.
