Carlow Castle

Carlow Castle

Carlow Castle, which is now a ruin, stands on the eastern bank of the River Barrow. It is thought to have been built by William de Marshal, Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Leinster between 1207 and 1213.

Originally the castle was a rectangular block, containing the castle’s principal rooms, protected by cylindrical towers at its corners. Today, only two battered towers and a section of the intervening wall remain. In 1814, a local physician attempted to remodel the castle into an asylum. In an effort to demolish the interior he placed explosive charges at its base and demolished all but the west wall and towers.