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Why are there so many castles in Ireland?

The castles of Ireland weren't built for royalty or for ostentatious reasons but rather as fortified homes of Ireland's chieftains or Anglo-Norman settlers. Their thick walls and ramparts were built for defense. Many of these castles are medieval in origin, dating from the 11th to the 15th century.



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There was no royalty in Ireland that was seen in other countries in Europe so castles were mainly built as large fortified homes for Clan chiefs or Anglo-Norman settlers who were trying to conquer Ireland at the time with many of them dating between the 11th and 15th century.

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Germany. The country with the most castles is Germany! It's thought that Germany has around 25,000 castles within its borders.

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Ireland is known for its castles. The Normans built most of the castles in Ireland between the 11th and 15th century. Some of the castles are still in tact and found new purpose such as Smarmore Castle. There are tens of thousands of castles spread over Ireland, most of them are ruins, but still worth a visit.

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Franklin Castle, also known as the Hannes Tiedemann House, Cleveland, Ohio, built in 1881 for Hannes Tiedemann. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gillette Castle, Hadlyme, Connecticut, built in 1914 for William Gillette. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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There are a total of 13695 Castles in the United States as of September 24, 2023.

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Germany has the most castles, with at least 20,000 castles, including the beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle and Heidelberg Palace. Most castles in Germany are over 100 years old. Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country.

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Ireland's most visited castles
  • Blarney Castle, County Cork.
  • Dublin Castle, County Dublin.
  • Lismore Castle, County Waterford.
  • Cahir Castle, County Tipperary.
  • Carrickfergus, County Antrim.


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This is a little known fact; Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe. Wales' history has left a landscape scattered with Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and castles from Medieval Welsh princes and English kings.

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Ireland has more than 30,000 castles and castle ruins known of (too many to count) whereas Scotland has just over 2,000.

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The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (Polish: Zamek w Malborku; German: Ordensburg Marienburg) is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located in the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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The oldest castle in the world that we currently know about is the Aleppo Citadel in Aleppo, Syria. It was constructed sometime around 3000 BCE!

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Bacon's Castle, Surry County, Virginia. Built in 1665, Bacon's Castle, originally known as the Arthur Allen Brick House, is British North America's oldest brick structure, North America's only surviving example of Jacobean architecture, and has North America's oldest, preserved 17th-century English formal garden.

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Nemacolin Castle is not the only castle in the United States. However, it IS the third oldest castle in the United States. The oldest is Bason's Castle in Surry, Virginia and was built in 1665.

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Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. George Vanderbilt's 250-room castle is America's Largest Home and a top attraction in Asheville. Plan a visit to Biltmore House, explore 8,000 acres of grounds, or book a behind-the-scenes tour. Elegance and grandeur abound at Biltmore, America's largest home.

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Canada is not known to have been home to Royalty. But thanks to Sir Henry Pellatt, Toronto has a castle that is now a tour destination. Tucked on a hillside a few blocks north as you exit Dupont Subway station is Casa Loma,Toronto's only castle.

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Castle Ottis, St Augustine Ottis Sadler built Castle Otttis (that really is three t's, it's not a typo) a little over three decades ago. Inspired by ancient Irish castles, the castle includes a chapel, interiors made from cypress wood and old southern heart-pine and soaring ramparts.

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Highlands Castle Stay from $600 per room, per night (room only). Highlands Castle is located in Bolton Landing in upstate New York, offering views of Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains. Accommodation includes a seating area and, in some cases, a dining area, terrace and kitchen.

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The castles are watch towers outside the city walls. The castle is Dublin Castle and is repeated three times because of the mystical significance of the number three. The castles are not castles but represent three gates into the ancient Viking city.

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