Desmond Castle

Built around 1500 as a customhouse by the earl of Desmond, this tower house has a dark history: Spanish troops occupied it during the battle of 1601, and the British later used it as a prison for captured American sailors during the War of Independence. Locally, it's known as "French Prison" because French prisoners were kept here during the mid-18th century. In a horrible accident, 54 French prisoners died here in a fire in 1747. During the Great Famine, the building was used as a workhouse for the starving populace. Now, in more peaceful times, the castle is a much more benign place. Today it is the home of the International Museum of Wine, celebrating the Irish emigrants who colonized the wine trade throughout the world after being forced to leave their own shores.

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