# Huntington Castle

- **Country:** Ireland
- **Coordinates:** 52.689800, -6.648600
- **Notes:** A castle constructed by the Esmonde family in 1625, after Queen Elizabeth I's forces captured the area and gave it to the Nettervilles, who then gave it to the Esmondes. A branch of the family, the Robertsons, still maintain ownership of the castle and it still serves as their ancestral home. Despite this, the castle is open to the public. In addition to a shrine to the Egyptian goddess Isis, the castle is noted as being haunted.
- **Year Built:** 1625
- **Castle Type:** Country house
- **Location Text:** Clonegal

Huntington Castle, also known as Clonegal Castle, is a historic fortress located in Clonegal, County Carlow, Ireland. While the site originally featured a 15th-century tower house built as a stronghold for the Caviness clan, the current structure dates primarily to 1625 when it served as a plantation castle. Its strategic position on the road between Dublin and Wexford made it a vital garrison for Oliver Cromwell's forces in 1650 during the conquest of Ireland. The building underwent significant expansion around 1880 with the addition of a two-storey wing and was later modernized in 1933 by architect Manning Durdin Robertson, who removed the original battlements and redesigned the gateway.

The castle holds a unique place in cultural and spiritual history, having served as a headquarters for the Irish Republican Army around 1916 and later as a filming location for Stanley Kubrick's acclaimed movie Barry Lyndon. Since 1976, the basement has housed the Fellowship of Isis, a religious organization co-founded by former owners Olivia and Lawrence Durdin-Robertson. The estate also hosted the Solas Festival in 2008. Today, the property remains a private residence owned by Alexander and Claire Durdin Robertson but opens its doors to the public for guided tours during the summer months from June through September.

The surrounding grounds are equally notable, featuring gardens largely laid out by the Esmonde family in the 17th century. Visitors can explore French lime avenues, formal parterres, ancient yew walks, and ornamental fish ponds. The estate boasts several significant tree specimens, including rare varieties of hickory and cut-leaved oak. Additionally, the property contains one of Ireland's earliest water turbine houses, which historically provided electricity to the castle via a lake constructed at the edge of the wilderness garden.

![Photo of Huntington Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Huntington_Castle%2C_Clonegal%2C_Co%2C_Carlow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_233222.jpg)

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