Overview
Portumna Castle went up between 1610 and 1618 for Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde, at a cost of £10,000 – a fortune at the time – and it’s really a grand semi-fortified house rather than a true castle, one of the finest surviving Jacobean houses in Ireland. It stands where the River Shannon widens into Lough Derg, on the Galway–Tipperary border. A fire gutted it in 1826, the Office of Public Works has been bringing it back since the 1960s, and today you can walk the restored ground floor and the formal walled gardens. If you’ve an hour here, the gardens are the best of it.
History
The design caught a moment of change: square corner towers with gun-ports for medieval defence, set against a symmetrical Renaissance façade, a Tuscan gateway and an elaborate doorcase. It’s a National Monument (reference 515) in the guardianship of the OPW, and for over two centuries it was the main seat of the Clanricarde earls, the de Burgo (Burke) family.
The 1826 fire left the house a roofless shell, and the family moved to the estate stables; a replacement castle built in 1862 was itself destroyed in 1922 during the Civil War. The state took on the original Jacobean house and began restoring it in the 1960s – work that still continues, which is why only the ground floor is open.
What to see
- Ground-floor exhibition – tracing the de Burgo family and the castle’s history. Guided tours, lasting about an hour, are available.
- Formal gardens – north of the house: the Lady’s Garden with historic bush roses and box hedging, and a second walled garden of geometric lawns, black walnut and espalier fruit trees underplanted with lavender.
- Walled kitchen garden – over an acre of organic vegetables and herbs, which supply the on-site tea room.
- Willow maze – a living maze of several willow varieties, growing taller and trickier to navigate as summer goes on.
- Portumna Friary – a short walk east, the atmospheric ruins of a 13th-century Dominican priory.
Seasonal highlights
- May–June – the Lady’s Garden reaches peak colour as the historic bush roses open against the formal hedging.
- July–August – the willow maze is fully leafed, cooler and more of a puzzle.
- September–October – autumn turns the demesne parkland, and the resident deer are more active along the river.
Wildlife
The 1,500-acre estate is a designated wildlife sanctuary, with red and fallow deer roaming the parkland. Seasonal wildflowers dot the meadows, and the mature woodland edges give cover to small mammals and birds along the river corridor.
Nearby
- Portumna Forest Park – directly next to the castle, 600 hectares of marked woodland trails and cycling routes with a visitor centre. Good for a walk or a picnic after the gardens.
- River Shannon & Lough Derg – short boat cruises, angling and kayaking on calm water; fishing permits are available locally.
- Portumna Golf Club – an 18-hole parkland course set within the forest park.
Practical information
Portumna Castle opens seasonally, and admission covers the ground-floor exhibition plus the gardens and parkland.
Opening hours & admission
Open 5 March – 12 November 2026. Daily opening times vary by season, so check the Heritage Ireland page before you travel.
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €5.00 |
| Group / Senior | €4.00 |
| Child / Student | €3.00 |
| Family (2 adults + up to 4 children) | €13.00 |
Contact: 090 974 1658 • portumnacastle@opw.ie • Portumna, Co. Galway, H53 YK27
Getting there – The castle sits on the edge of Portumna town, a short walk from the River Shannon and the forest park. Free on-site car parking is available, including coach parking, along with a picnic area and playground.
Facilities – Toilets, a tea room in the restored stables, and a gift shop. There’s no full restaurant on-site, but the town nearby has several places to eat.
Accessibility – Partial wheelchair access; some historic areas, including the upper towers and parts of the gardens, remain inaccessible for preservation reasons. A wheelchair-accessible toilet is provided.
Allow two to three hours to take in the ground floor, gardens and friary at a comfortable pace, and check the OPW website ahead for any seasonal garden closures or events.