Oola Castle
Tower house in County Limerick, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oola Castle is a tower house located in County Limerick, Ireland.[1]
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| Oola Castle | |
|---|---|
| Native name Caisleán Úlla (Irish) | |
| Oolla Castle | |
| |
| Type | Tower house |
| Location | Oolahills East, Oola, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°31′41″N 8°14′31″W |
| Built | c. 1550–1600 |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
  Location of Oola Castle in Ireland | |
Location
Oola Castle is located 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the village of Oola. It lies in the Golden Vale, 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Limerick.[2]
It should not be confused with the castle in Ballyneety nearby, which is sometimes called "Oola Castle."[3]
History
The current building dates to the late 16th century and was built by the O'Briens.[4] It is classified as a "later" tower house; according to Claire Foley and Colm Donnelly, "greater provision of heat and light, married to Renaissance concepts of symmetry, was incorporated into the traditional building form to create a new tower-house paradigm, as expressed at buildings such as Oola [Castle]."[5]
In 1825, antlers of the giant deer ("Irish elk") were discovered; and, in 1828, a bronze trumpet, spear and arrowheads of bronze were found. All were placed in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin.[6]
Castle
The castle is a square six-storey limestone tower house. There are circular bartizans on the northeast and southwest corners. The upper windows have hood moulding, and the east and west walls have their original fireplaces.[7]
When it was in use, it would have had whitewashed walls, gables crowned with chimneys and mullioned windows.[8]
