# Ballymoon Castle

- **Country:** Ireland
- **Coordinates:** 52.700236, -6.906662
- **Notes:** A Norman castle, assumed by some to be unfinished, built by the Carew family, likely Roger Bigod, sometime between 1290 and 1310, possibly to defend the Barrow river valley from Irish raiders in a region over which the Normans had little control. In the past, the castle has been erroneously associated with the Knights Templar.
- **Year Built:** 13th century
- **Castle Type:** Castle
- **Location Text:** Muine Bheag

Ballymoon Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located approximately two miles east of Bagenalstown in County Carlow, Ireland. Designated as a National Monument, the structure is believed to have been constructed between 1290 and 1310 during a turbulent period in Irish history. Architectural attribution is often given to Roger Bigod, the 5th Earl of Norfolk, though some historical accounts suggest the Carew family may have been involved after acquiring the land. The castle exemplifies early fortification design, featuring a square courtyard roughly eighty feet on each side, enclosed by imposing granite walls that stand twenty feet high and are eight feet wide at the base.

The site currently exists as an accessible ruin where visitors can walk within the open internal courtyard via a small wooden bridge. While the interior structures have largely vanished, leaving only foundations that indicate the positions of doors and fireplaces, significant defensive features remain visible. These include an arched gateway on the western wall with portcullis grooves, suggesting a former barbican, along with cross-shaped gun loops and arrow slits embedded in the masonry. A large double fireplace on the north side marks the location of the great hall, and remnants of two-story buildings against the inner walls have led historians to speculate that the castle was never fully completed.

Despite much of its specific history being lost to time, the castle holds enduring significance as a tangible link to the Anglo-Norman presence in the region. In the late nineteenth century, the property was purchased by Michael Sheill, a local entrepreneur from Wexford, adding a later chapter to its long narrative. Today, Ballymoon Castle stands as a protected heritage site under state care, offering the public a glimpse into medieval military architecture and the complex lineage of ownership that shaped County Carlow's landscape over seven centuries.

![Photo of Ballymoon Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Ballymoon_Castle_sunset_2.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballymoon_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)