Our First Castle!!!!!!!!!!

Getting excited!
Getting excited!

After the concert, Megan mentioned that we were going to a castle on Friday. I may or may not have screamed (ha, ha…). Everyone thought it was so cute, but really they don’t understand! I’m about to fulfill yet another dream!

It was called Aughnanure, and it was built in the 14th or 15th century by the O’Flaherty clan after the English pushed them out of Galway. It was a tower house, which is a Norman style construction that’s like one huge tower (keep) surr

The banqueting hall...can you imagine it?
The banqueting hall…can you imagine it?

ounded by two walls. Originally there would have been all kinds of other buildings inside – stables and things – because all kinds of other people would have lived there. It was beautiful. We saw the doorway and windows to the banqueting hall, which is nothing more than a big swatch of grass, now. If you stand there, though, you can just imagine how it must have looked with a paved stone floor, and torches and tapestries lining both

In we go...
In we go…

walls, and big long tables in the center. According to legend the O’Flaherty’s had a trapdoor in the floor which opened onto the river which ran underneath the hall. Imagine what that was for…

The castle has all kinds of interesting history. Grace O’Malley, the Irish pirate queen, lived there for awhile because she was married to an O’Flaherty.  We were able to go up through all three levels of the castle. Most of it is still exactly as it was, whitewashed and everything. You could just imagine the people actuall

One of the corner towers on the wall
One of the corner towers on the wall

y living in there. The top floor, the chieftain’s room, even still had part of the balcony from which minstrels entertained him and the secret room where he kept hostages.

I ate Irish soda bread sitting on the ruined wall of a centuries-old castle. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.

Don’t believe me? Just wait until you see the picture of me jum

Elisha and me excited about seeing our first castle!
Elisha and me excited about seeing our first castle!

ping in front of the tower house!

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2 Responses
  1. Uncle Dan again

    Loved to read….”I ate Irish soda bread sitting on the ruined wall of a centuries-old castle. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.”

    We want to know, does that mean that you weren’t really all that happy all the rest of the times we’ve been with you and you just appeared to be happy?!
    As Anna Love once said about some rich doctor friends and their dream house, “They sure looked happy to me”
    Love you, Kenz! 🙂

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