This was built for England's King John in 1210, replacing a wooden fort, and extended circa 1276. It was probably built with a moat.
About Athlone Castle
Its heaviest engagements were the two 17th-century sieges of Athlone. In 1690 Athlone city and castle were held by the Jacobites, who destroyed the Shannon bridge to thwart the advance of the Williamites. Fresh from victory at the Battle of the Boyne, the Williamites bombarded the city for a week but retreated when Jacobite reinforcements approached. They attacked again in 1691, attempting to storm the river crossing, and bombarding the Jacobites on the west bank for ten days. Then, with the river running unusually low, the Williamites found another fording point downstream, got across and captured the castle. Two weeks later, advancing west, they met the main Jacobite army at Aughrim, crushed them, and thereby annihilated Jacobite resistance in Ireland. The smashed-up castle was rebuilt during the Napoleonic wars but never put to the test, so much of what you see now is from the early 19th century. The tourist information centre is also here.
Athlone Castle, sometimes known as Adamson Castle, is a castle located in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, dating from the 12th century.
Plan your visit
- Where: Castle St N37 A6D7 (Athlone)
- Hours: Wed-Sat (plus Tue Jul-Aug) 10AM-5:30PM, Sun 11AM-5:30PM
- Price: Adult €9, conc €6.50, child €4.50
- Phone: +353 90 644 2130
- Web: athlonecastle.ie
Details sourced from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 3.0), with background from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Published on 5 November 2026 at 12:17 pm