Fiddaun Castle

Fiddaun Castle is an exceptionally well-preserved six-storey tower house built in 1574 by Sir Roger Gilla Dubh O'Shaughnessy, a powerful chieftain of the Kiltartan barony in County Galway. The name derives from Irish 'Fiodh Duin' meaning 'wood of the fort,' and the castle's outer walls originally enclosed nearly 12 acres, making it historically the largest fortress in Ireland. The complex structure features a vaulted basement, spiral staircase, great hall, multiple chambers, and an inner Bawn wall with four corner towers and gatehouse. Though attacked by the Earls of Thomond and Clanricarde, the O'Shaughnessy family inhabited the castle until 1727 when it was abandoned. Now a National Monument maintained on private land, the castle remains one of Ireland's most impressive medieval military structures.