In Ireland, Castles Create a Romantic Landscape 

By Alice Vollmar

"I say, would you ask your master if he'd like to join me, King Arthur, and the knights of my Round Table on our quest for the Holy Grail?" my irrepressible travel companion yelled at every castle and tower we approached.

This Monty Python shtick kept him amused enough to indulge my requests to stop at almost all of the castles I saw in Ireland. As we white-knuckled our trusty rental car along on the wrong side of the road between unforgiving stone walls, we found castles everywhere, in all shapes and sizes -- from elegantly renovated complexes and L-shaped towers to rambling ruins and round towers built as monastic belfries. Doors were high above the ground (monks entered by a ladder that they pulled up behind them).

Fortress-like structures became my passion on this trip, thanks to a childhood filled with tales in which the beautiful princess dwells in a such romantic home. Most real castles, however, tell an entirely different story. These often dank and drafty places were designed to protect the dwellers within from the enemies outside.

Hence, the purpose of the murder hole above the entrance to remarkably intact Aughnanure Castle.  The site is near the shore of Co. Galway's Lough Corrib, south of Oughterard. If intruders slipped past the watch tower and made it as far as the front entry, guards poured boiling oil (or other liquids) down the murder hole and fried them on the spot.

From June through October, today's visitors can climb Aughnanure Castle's circular steps to several levels in the large tower house, including a great hall where the cooking was done. The castle served as the stronghold of the fiery O'Flaherty clan between the 14th and 16th centuries.

So feared were they that the town of Galway had inscribed over the west gate, "From the ferocious O'Flaherties, Good Lord deliver us." No doubt, that castle murder hole was used, as was the trap door in what was once a banqueting hall. Guests who'd offended the host or committed any other unpardonable sin dropped through the trap door into the river below.

Near Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare stand the remains of two O'Loughlin clan tower houses: Gleninagh and Newtown Castle. We gingerly stepped our way through foot-sucking boggy ground to get close to Gleninagh. A sign informed us that the L-shaped tower house built in the 1500s was abandoned in 1840.  Although the doorway was gated, we could peek inside.

Restored Newtown Castle claims attention for its unusual square base supporting a round tower. This tower house offers tours from Easter through early October. Although we were too late for the tour, we had tea at a café on the grounds. Then, we hiked a trail up the rugged hillside, through brambles and holly, for views of the valley below.

Of course, we had to visit Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare. According to a guide book, the present castle was built in 1460 by the McNamaras, the clan of my spouse's maternal lineage. This imposing structure is the fourth castle to stand there, others falling prey to bloody battles involving O'Briens, McNamaras and the Norman de Clares.

Visitors see the great hall, kitchen, a chapel, and other rooms, including the chaplain's bedroom where, in his private lavatory, a spy hole allowed him to keep a critical eye on activities in the great hall. Open daily, the restored castle contains lavish 14th- through 17th-century furniture and tapestries. I studied portraits for resemblances to my mother-in-law but found none, and later learned most of the furnishings came from Continental Europe.

On the grounds, a folk park showcases cottages with thatched roofs and farms relocated from around the Shannon region, depicting life around 1900 with butter-making, baking and traditional crafts. We stayed for the castle's popular medieval banquet, a jovial and crowded affair with costumed performers and servers, good music, and entertainment.

In Co. Clare, near Quin, handsome Knappoque Castle also boasts McNamara connections. The furnished castle offers tours May through September and hosts medieval banquets but was closed to the public when we visited. A wedding had taken over the premises, complete with kilted bagpiper, and our names weren't on the list of guests.

In Northern Ireland, Dunluce Castle perches on the cliffs above the coastline in Co. Antrim and is open for tours year round. In the 16th century, a clan's chieftains took over this 13th-century Norman fortress and enlarged it to serve as the headquarters from which they dominated the region. In 1639, the kitchen plunged into the ocean, taking the kitchen staff with it.

Near Rathkeale in Co. Limerick, Castle Matrix dates to 1410 and can be toured from June through September. The castle claims to be the first place to cultivate spuds in Ireland. It seems that young Walter Raleigh actually brought potatoes from America and gave them to the owner of Matrix Castle, who planted them.

In Co. Mayo, I found a fairy-tale castle -- elegantly renovated Ashford Castle, founded in 1228 by an Anglo-Norman family. A succession of owners and expansions created an impressive gray stone castle with turrets and towers surrounded by acres of gardens, forest, lawns and a private nine-hole golf course. For nearly a century, Lord Ardilaun and the Guinness family kept Ashford Castle as a country estate. Located near Cong, Ashford Castle now operates as a luxury hotel where celebrities the likes of President Reagan and Joan Baez have stayed in elaborate suites with high ceilings and cavernous bathrooms. In 1905, when the Prince of Wales came to hunt, the castle's owner built the Prince of Wales bar just for him.

As our trip continued, despite his beseeching at every castle, no one offered to join my travel mate on his quest for the Holy Grail. We did encounter a knight in armor in the entryway to Ashford Castle, but my companion's hopes were dashed when the suit of armor turned out to be empty.

Sidebar: For information about visiting Ireland, contact Tourism Ireland at 800/223-6470, by email info@shamrock.org or go to www.irelandvacations.com Ireland by Catharina Day, a Cadogan Guide updated in 2002, directs you to numerous castles. Check the Cadogan Guides website at www.cadoganguides.com