Castle Freke

Castle Freke lies next to a small forest in Castlefreke townsland, in County Cork in Ireland.

Originally Castle Freke was a tower house dating back to the 15th century. It belonged to the Barry family. It was occupied by the Frekes 1617.

The Frekes and Evans intermarried and became Barons of Carbery 1715 and Castle Freke was rebuilt in 1780 by Sir John Evans-Freke, incorporating the original castle keep in its design.

The renowned architect Sir Richard Morrison altered the castle into its current Gothic castellated style in 1820. In 1910 a fire gutted the castle. John Carbery was forced to sell Castle Freke in the 1920s and it was dismantled in 1952.

In 2005 the sprawling ruin of the castle was bought back by Stephen Evans Freke, the youngest son of the late Peter Evans Freke, the 11th Lord Carbery. He started a restoration to return Castle Freke to its former glory. But in 2014 he had a financial dispute with the architect overseeing the restoration and the works halted. The current phase of restoration is partially complete.

This is a great castle, too bad it's completely sealed off and abandoned again. But I must say that it also adds to its creepy atmosphere. It is on private property and therefore not accessible.

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