Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Ireland Cork Kilcoe Castle
AO Edited

Kilcoe Castle

A stunning medieval castle owned and restored by the famed actor Jeremy Irons.

Cork, Ireland

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Kilcoe Castle   Mike Searle/CC BY-SA 2.0
Kilcoe Castle.   Mike Searle/CC BY-SA 2.0
Kilcoe Castle   Mike Searle/CC BY-SA 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Many are familiar with Jeremy Irons from such films as The Mission, Kafka, The Lion King, Die Hard with a Vengeance, or Justice League. But what many do not know is that the thespian, one of the very few actors to receive the Triple Crown of Acting—having won an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony—owns a medieval castle in Ireland that has been restored to its whilom glory.

Built around 1450 by the clan of Dermod MacCarthy, the fortress is composed of two adjoining towers on an islet in West Cork, one squat and the other rising tall toward the sky. It was one of Ireland's last redoubts to fall to the invading forces of Elizabethan England during the last stage of the Tudor conquest. It was abandoned until Irons bought it for himself in 1998.

He then started a restoration project that took around six years and a million pounds that resulted in this stunning work of architecture coated in a rosy terracotta limewash. The untraditional color that replaced the original stone-gray stirred a bit of controversy at the time, but it seems to have grown on a majority of people.

A fond reflection of the actor's lifelong passion for art collecting and design, the renovated castle stands tall and proud once again above the medieval stone walls, overlooking the shimmering waters of Roaringwater Bay.

Related Tags

History & Culture Design Architecture Castles

Know Before You Go

The castle is a private residence and not open to the public. However, you can still get a spectacular view from the surrounding countryside.

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

December 28, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.castles.nl/kilcoe-castle
  • https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/09/inside-kilcoe-castle-jeremy-irons-irish-castle
  • https://jeremyirons.net/kilcoe-castle/
Kilcoe Castle
Cork
Ireland
51.540203, -9.414557

Nearby Places

Baltimore Beacon

Cork, Ireland

miles away

Irish Sky Garden

Skibbereen, Ireland

miles away

Drombeg Stone Circle

Rosscarbery, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cork

Cork

Ireland

Places 6

Nearby Places

Baltimore Beacon

Cork, Ireland

miles away

Irish Sky Garden

Skibbereen, Ireland

miles away

Drombeg Stone Circle

Rosscarbery, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cork

Cork

Ireland

Places 6

Related Places

  • Joslyn Castle

    Omaha, Nebraska

    Joslyn Castle

    This once rural mansion now sits in the heart of the city.

  • Viña del Mar, Chile

    Wulff Castle

    A whimsical European-style chateau that calls the coast of Chile home.

  • Castillo de Gillow.

    San Lucas el Grande, Mexico

    Ex-Hacienda de Chautla

    A historic Puebla estate featuring a striking castle.

  • Conwy Suspension Bridge

    Conwy, Wales

    Conwy Suspension Bridge

    One of the oldest suspension bridges in the world blends in perfectly with a medieval castle.

  • Crawford Castle

    Crawford, Scotland

    Crawford Castle

    These crumbling ruins are all that's left of the ancestral home of Clan Crawford.

  • Castillo de Iscar (Iscar Castle)

    Iscar, Spain

    Castillo de Iscar (Iscar Castle)

    This Castilian castle has stood the test of time like few others.

  • Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház

    Budapest, Hungary

    Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház

    A stunning Art Nouveau cinema in the heart of Budapest.

  • Hôtel Solvay

    Brussels, Belgium

    Hôtel Solvay

    This historic Art Nouveau townhouse was the former home of the son of a famous chemical inventor and industrialist.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.