Ballyportry Castle
Medieval Splendour in The Heart of The Burren

To cross the threshold at Ballyportry is to step back in time 500 years. Protected by an outer wall or bawn, this Gaelic tower house rises 90 feet from turf to battlement. It is an authentic restoration, evoking medieval Ireland at a turbulent time when allegiance was not so much to a sovereign, as to a family, and a man’s home was truly his castle.

Renovated without compromising its integrity, Ballyportry offers the convenience of a modern house, within the protective walls of an ancient fortress.

Here you can experience the comfort and solace of an open hearth and the distinctive smell of a turf fire. See brilliant sunsets and dazzling rainbows from the battlements, or simply savour the quiet serenity of rural Ireland.

Located in the west of your dreams, in the wild country, well beyond the Pale, Ballyportry appears to grow right out of the craggy land upon which it is rooted. Like a stoic sentry, the stately tower house stands guard over a magical part of County Clare called the Burren, from the Irish word "boireann" or rocky place.

History and Restoration

Built in the late 15^th century by the O’Briens of Lemenagh Castle, Ballyportry remained occupied through the 16^th and 17^th centuries before falling into disrepair and disuse. The Statistical Survey of County Clare in 1808 makes mention of a poor family still taking shelter at Ballyportry. Miraculously, its four walls were intact, although open to the sky, when the ruin was acquired in the 1960s by New York architect, Robert Owen Brown.

Over the next decade, Brown reverently researched and restored the tower to its original stature. The artistry and ingenuity of the early stonemasons had to be matched by their modern counterparts who were called upon to cut and replace missing stones, steps and arches in the restoration process. Bob Brown made Ballyportry his home until his untimely death in 1983.  The present owners acquired the tower house in 1999 and set about conserving it, making it dry. Their work and that of their expert team is now for everyone to enjoy, particularly those wishing to savour the atmosphere and scale of life in an Irish tower house of 500 years ago.

Ballyportry sleeps eight comfortably. It has six bedrooms with four double beds. There are two large doubles, including a king-size heated waterbed in the master bedroom on the first floor and two small single bedrooms, with two beds in each.

There are three stone bathrooms, one on the ground floor, a full bath with shower off the master bedroom and a bath and shower for the second and third floor bedrooms.

Recessed into the window nook of the master bedroom is a deep, hand-carved stone tub (wide enough for two) which once was a horse trough on a local estate.

Ballyportry has a modern kitchen at ground floor level with a six-burner gas stove, sink, refrigerator and dishwasher. The top kitchen is equipped with a fridge, dishwasher and electric cooker.  The hot air ducted heating system provides year round heat of up to 20˚C in the large rooms.   In addition there are turf burning stoves. 

Ballyportry is perfect for families and friends to share, as well as for small conferences and workshops. The caretaker lives nearby.

Faclities: central heating, private parking. NOTE: the water supply is only up to running 4 or 5 showers before giving the tanks time to replenish, so with 10 guests it is best either to divide ablutions between morning and evening or to one lot of early risers and another of late risers. At present pure spring water is supplied (for drinking) because the tap water is only suitable for washing.

Ballyportry is a mile from the village of Corofin in County Clare, on the Corofin-Gort road, which skirts the Burren. It is an hour’s drive from Shannon Airport and about a four-hour drive from Dublin. The nearest big town, Ennis, is a 20 minute drive from the castle and the cities of Limerick and Galway are an hour away. The inviting beach at Lahinch and the dramatic Cliffs of Moher are within a 45 minute drive.

The Burren, literally on your doorstep, is an important geological and botanical nature preserve as well as a bird sanctuary and archaeological paradise. Almost a decade before he and his wife acquired Ballyportry, Pat Wallace in a forward to The Book of the Burren wrote "I cannot think of anywhere else in Ireland that equals this varied and rich concentration of stone monuments, particularly wedge tombs, cashels, twelfth to fifteenth century churches and tower houses."

Located on six acres, Ballyportry is surrounded by dairy farms and magnificent ice age lakes. The tower house looks across to Mullaghmore which is two miles away. Boats can be rented for fishing on nearby lakes.

There are hiking and cycling opportunities, pony trekking and angling. Guided tours of the Burren by specialist naturalists can be organised if booked in advance. Several excellent golf courses including the famous Lahinch are within an easy distance.

Corofin is the site of the County Clare Heritage Centre, which offers a computerized genealogical search of Irish ancestry.

The "musical" boundary of the Burren includes the area enclosed by a line north of Doolin, through Lisdoonvarna and Kilfenora up to Kinvara. But forget the map. Follow your ear. Traditional Irish music is often as close as the nearest pub, particularly if you are lucky enough to be in Milltown Malbay during the annual Willie Clancy festival.

Restaurants range from the simple to the elegant. Delicious pub food, such as fish chowder, smoked salmon with brown bread and homemade fruit pie, is available in the village as well as at two pubs in nearby Kilfenora. On an evening when you want to say at home but don’t feel like cooking arrangements can be made to have dinner prepared by a local cook – if booked in advance.