A round 16th-century tower house perched above Doolin Point, used by boats as a navigational aid — and famous for a very dark Spanish Armada story. It is privately owned, so you admire it from the outside.
A round, sandstone-built tower house of the mid-1500s, one of three cylindrical tower houses in the Burren, sitting inside a small walled enclosure less than a kilometre above Doolin village. You can only look from the outside — the interior is closed.
From Fisher Street the viewpoint is about a 20-minute walk, but most of it is a steep incline, so a reasonable level of fitness helps. Driving from Doolin takes about three minutes.
The castle frames beautifully against the wild Atlantic; the best angles are from the hill leading up to it and from the road beside it. Boats still use the tower as a navigational aid approaching Doolin pier.
In 1588 a Spanish Armada ship wrecked near Doolin; around 170 survivors who reached the castle were taken by the High Sheriff of Clare and hanged here or at nearby Cnocán an Crochaire, 'Hangman's Hill'.
Doolin, a three-minute drive away, has pubs and restaurants serving local food, often with live traditional music. The Cliffs of Moher are about an eight-minute drive, and the Aran Islands ferries leave from Doolin pier.
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