The Rock of Dunamase
There isn’t much left of the castle that once stood atop this rocky outcrop overlooking a valley near the town of Portlaoise; however, what remains is a fetching and quite impressive sight. The ruins were once Dunamase Castle (though nobody calls it that anymore), built sometime during the 12th century. It clearly didn’t last long; records indicate that it was a total ruin by as early as 1350. A much earlier fort is believed to have stood on the same site. A few arched gateways survive intact, and the scattered remains of walls and turrets give a good idea of how large it must once have been. The stunning view from among the ruins, over rolling green fields toward the Slieve Mountains in the distance, is worth the visit alone. The Rock is signposted from the main road, but it’s very easy to get lost! So to get there, follow these directions. Leave Portlaoise on N80, heading southeast toward Carlow. Shortly after crossing over the M7 motorway, just outside the town limits, you'll pass some large green industrial sheds. Approximately 1.8km (just over 1 mile) after this you will come to some scattered houses, with a turning on the left, next to a triangular patch of lawn and a telegraph pole. Take this turning; you will start to see the Rock on the hill to your left in about 0.5km (550 yards).
There isn’t much left of the castle that once stood atop this rocky outcrop overlooking a valley near the town of Portlaoise; however, what remains is a fetching and quite impressive sight. The ruins were once Dunamase Castle (though nobody calls it that anymore), built sometime during the 12th century. It clearly didn’t last long; records indicate that it was a total ruin by as early as 1350. A much earlier fort is believed to have stood on the same site. A few arched gateways survive intact, and the scattered remains of walls and turrets give a good idea of how large it must once have been. The stunning view from among the ruins, over rolling green fields toward the Slieve Mountains in the distance, is worth the visit alone. The Rock is signposted from the main road, but it’s very easy to get lost! So to get there, follow these directions. Leave Portlaoise on N80, heading southeast toward Carlow. Shortly after crossing over the M7 motorway, just outside the town limits, you'll pass some large green industrial sheds. Approximately 1.8km (just over 1 mile) after this you will come to some scattered houses, with a turning on the left, next to a triangular patch of lawn and a telegraph pole. Take this turning; you will start to see the Rock on the hill to your left in about 0.5km (550 yards).
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