Lemaneagh Castle Co Clare.

Standing on the rather bleak fringe of the limestone area known as The Burren, the regional five storey Tower house known as Lamaneagh Castle was built by the O'Brien's in the fifteenth century, mention was made of the castle in 1550 when it was granted to Donough O'Brien who is reported to have been hanged in 1582.

In the 1530's the castle was inherited by Connor O'Brien, who built a four storey mansion about 1651 Connor's wife was Maire Rua (Maire ni Mahon), of whom many stories abound, one that she hung her disobedient manservant's by the neck and her maid servants by the hair from the corbels of the castle. She is reputed to have accompanied her husband on raids upon English settlers.

And on one occasion in 1651 when Connor was mortally wounded in a skirmish with General Ludlow's army, she is said to have refused entry to his body saying "We need no dead men here", although after realising he was still alive allowed him in nursing him until he died a few hours later.

After the victory of the English, Ludlow is said to have stayed in the castle for two nights before returning to Limerick. Lemaneagh Castle was finally abandoned in 1705, its lower windows and doors built up to prevent access. It is located 5 km (3 miles) E of Kilfenora on the Carran / Ballyvaughan Road