Tynte's Castle

Tynte's Castle stands in the center of the town of Youghal, in County Cork in Ireland.

Tynte's Castle, an urban tower house, was built in the late 15th century by the Walsh family. They were Cambro-Norman merchants who built the tower house to protect their trade goods. In 1584 they were dispossessed after the Desmond Rebellion and the castle was taken over by the Crown.

It was then leased to Sir Robert Tynte, an administrator for the Office of the Sheriff of Cork. In 1689 the tower was used as a prison for supporters of Oliver Cromwell and there was a failed attempt to burn it down. The castle remained in the hands of the Tynte family. Although they converted it into a grain store in the first part of the 19th century, it was in disrepair by the 1950s. In 1866 they sold it to William Raymond FitzMaurice, a wealthy Anglo-Irish landowner. In the 1950s it was acquired by the McCarthy family who restored it to its present appearance.

There used to be several of these urban tower houses in Youghal, but this is the only one remaining. Another example of this type of urban tower house is Desmond Castle in Kinsale.

Apparently Tynte's Castle can be visited, although this wasn't the case when I came by. Too bad, because I would have loved to view its interior.

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