Beagh Castle

Beagh Castle, located near Ballysteen on the Shannon estuary in County Limerick, was built by the Fitzgeralds of Desmond in the 13th century to oversee river navigation and defend the region. The castle stands on the site of a previous Viking settlement dating to the 820s, when legend says a converted Viking prince built a chapel there. The Fitzgeralds held the castle until 1578, after which it changed hands through the centuries, including a period under Sir Hardress Waller during the Commonwealth. Now under private ownership and undergoing restoration, visitors can stay in restored 300-year-old cottages overlooking the 800-year-old castle, experiencing the layered history of this ancient riverside location.