12 Feb Dromore Castle , County Limerick
The Victorian architect Edward Godwin borrowed from fantasy land when he built Dromore Castle for the 3rd Earl of Limerick.
He created a fortress that would have withstood the most determined attack , had such an attack been likely in the 19th century. Tradition has it that Godwin played on the earl’s fears of a nationalist uprising , in order to give vent to an imagination that produced this fairy-tale place of turrets , towers and battlements.
Dromore is reminiscent of a Bavarian castle , and it is said that Godwin’s inspiration came from a castle of the mad King Ludvig of Bavaria. It stands dramatically against a wooded skyline and overlooks a great lake.
Dromore Castle is a real hidden gem that is worth a visit on your tours of Ireland.