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(Four
lakes.)
Carlow castle was built by William
Marshall or his son early between the years 1207-13, guarding the
strategic crossing of the river Barrow. It is probably the first
example of the towered or turreted keeps, consisting of round towers
at each corner of a rectangular block, built in Ireland. Lionel
duke of Clarence built a wall around the town and castle in 1361,
this didn't prevent the town and castle falling to Art MacMurrough
Kavanagh in 1405, Kavanagh put both to the torch.
The castle was taken again by
Rory Og O'More in 1577. In 1650 it was besieged by Cromwell, when
it surrendered the defenders were slaughtered.
The castle is a great state
of disrepair, due mainly to a doctor Middleton who bought it in
1814, his intention to turn it into a lunatic asylum, he decided
the windows needed enlarging and thought gunpowder would be a quick
way to achieve this. The explosion blew the castle apart, leaving
only the the shell of the keep and the corner towers standing.
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