Castle Maine | |
---|---|
Castlemaine, County Kerry, Ireland | |
Coordinates | 52°10′03″N 9°42′09″W / 52.1674°N 9.7025°W |
Type | Castle |
Site information | |
Condition | Demolished |
Site history | |
Built | 1215 |
Built for | FitzGerald dynasty |
Demolished | 1652 |
Battles/wars | Desmond Rebellions Nine Years' War Irish Confederate Wars Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland |
Castle Maine, also recorded as Castle Magne and Castlemaine, was a medieval castle located at what is now Castlemaine, County Kerry. The castle, built in 1215, stood on a bridge over the River Maine. A defensive structure of considerable importance in Munster, it belonged first to the Earls of Desmond and later to the English Crown. Castle Maine was besieged on several occasions, including during the Nine Years' War when the garrison resisted for thirteen months. It was destroyed in 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.