Built in 1618 by the fourth Earl of Clanricarde, Portumna Castle was gutted by fire in 1826 and survives as a roofless Jacobean shell, ringed by formal gardens and a walled kitchen garden above Lough Derg.
The castle is a unique example of the transitional Irish architecture of the early 1600s, its bold design combining medieval and Renaissance elements. A major fire in 1826 left it a roofless shell; the state began bringing it back from ruin in the 1960s and work continues today.
The ground floor is open to the public and houses an exhibition that brings the story of the castle and the de Burgo family to life, with 26 information panels, family portraits and a four-minute film.
The 17th-century walled kitchen garden is the most memorable part of a visit, full of herb and flower scents, and there is a maze to find.
The courtyard holds another reception area with a gift shop and an exhibition room upstairs. Next door are the tea rooms and toilet facilities, where you can play a game of chess while you wait for your food.
The dramatic walk up to the building runs through charming formal gardens that recreate the original seventeenth-century setting. Passing through the Tuscan Gates, you enter the Ladies Garden, planted with 17th-century rose varieties.
The castle enjoys a sensational view of Lough Derg and sits right beside the River Shannon and Portumna Forest Park. Leaving through the tea rooms gate leads down to the ruins of Portumna Priory, the marina and the forest park.
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