Athlone Castle & Visitor Centre

Athlone Castle is a castle located in Athlone, Westmeath, Ireland courting from the 12th century and is a popular traveller destination. The earliest recorded "fort" of Athlone turned into a timber structure constructed in 1129, by using King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair of Connacht, likely at the web page of the present citadel. The stone fortress which survives these days dates from 1210 and become constructed for King John by using his Irish Justiciar, Bishop John de Gray of Norwich. It became built to protect the crossing point of the river at Athlone and to offer a bridgehead to facilitate the Norman boost into Connaught.

The fortress of 1210 was a free status polygonal tower built on a newly built ‘motte’ or guy-made hill. This tower, although substantially altered, can still be visible as the vital hold or ‘donjon’ of the castle today. At the time the castle turned into built the Shannon, as it passed through Athlone, turned into very one-of-a-kind from nowadays. It is probable that within the early days of its life the fort loved the protection of a fosse or moat.