Templemichael Castle

Templemichael Castle lies north of the town of Youghal, in County Cork, in Ireland.

The FitzGerald family built Templemichael Castle in the 16th century next to the confluence of the Glendine River and the Blackwater. Some sources however state that the castle would date back to the 12th century and was a Knights Templar stronghold. The present remains of the castle however are more consistent with the 16th century.

The castle, consisting of a 5-storey rectangular tower and a small bawn with a circular flanker, is said to have been attacked by Oliver Cromwell and his troops in 1649. Maybe that was when it was destroyed because I could not find any other historical information about it.

Next to the castle is a graveyard with the ruin of a church built in 1823 on the site of an earlier church. It remained in service until 1969 when it was closed following the funeral of Horace Holroyd Smyth of the nearby Ballynatray house.

Templemichael Castle can freely be visited. A nice castle ruin which forms an atmospheric ensemble together with the ruined church and its graveyard.

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