Bermingham Castles of Ireland There are a numerous Bermingham monuments dotted around Ireland particularly in counties Kildare , Offaly , Galway , and Dublin . Unfortunately most are now in a very poor state . Athenry Castle in Galway is the most impressive example having been restored recently using building techniques similar to those employed when it was originally built . There are a total of five castles and one monastery still in existence in counties Kildare and Offaly . Carbury Castle , Grange Castle and Carrick Castles are in County Kildare , while Blundell Castle , Kinnefad Castle , and Monasterois Monastery are in County Offaly . In Galway there is Athenry Castle and Monastery , Dunmore Castle and Bermingham House , the seat of the last Baron of Athenry and Earl of Louth , Thomas Bermingham until his death in 1799 . The map below illustrates the close proximity of Bermingham castles in Offaly and Kildare . Carbury Castle , County Kildare . Carbury Castle is situated in the townland of Carbury , on the borders of Kildare and Offaly . The area is dominated by the ruins of this great Tudor mansion set atop Carbury Hill , which was also known as Fairy Hill . The motte on the hill was probably built by Meiler FitzHenry who was granted the area by Strongbow . It was acquired by the de Berminghams in the 14th century , before being taken by the native Irish in the 15th century . In 1588 it was granted to the Colley family , ancestors of the Dukes of Wellington , who built a large stronghouse in the 17th century . Carrick Castle , County Kildare . Located about 3 miles from Edenderry town , Carrick Castle is a tall square tower which in its original condition would have been 90 feet long and 32 feet in length . This was the castle built by Sir Pierce Bermingham in the 13th century and is the site of the O ' Connor massacre . The view from Carrick is very impressive and its elevation , as with Carbury would have been used as a strong means of defence . Unfortunately it is in very poor condition with only two main walls remaining . However , some of the detail is still visible as in the window and chimney detail . To the left of Carrick is an abandoned church and graveyard . Grange Castle , County Kildare . Grange is situated a mile or so from Carrick Castle and is a late 15th century ( 1460 ) tower house built by the Bermingham family . The tower was embellished with ornate Jacobean chimneys and battlements in the early 17th century . In 1735 Walter Bermingham sold Grange to Thomas Tyrrell in whose family it remained until in 1988 . The late Robert Tyrrell transferred ownership of the tower to Dúchas , the then Office of Public Works . The remaining buildings and grounds were handed down to Hugh Tyrrell who lives in England and from whom they are leased by The Tyrrell Trust Ltd . From 1460 onwards successive generations have added to or changed the character of Grange , with the building of a great hall now fully restored and named as Fallon Hall , with a walled garden , a cow byre and various stables and courtyards which have yet to be restored . Although the grounds are now overgrown , Grange ' s architecture is a beautiful example of its era . Dunfierth Church , County Kildare . The old parochial Church of Dunfierth is located about 2 miles from Johnstown Bridge , Kildare . The ruins are surrounded by an extensive burial - ground with a separate entrance which holds the mortuary chapel of the Bermingham family . A handsomely sculptured alter - tomb formerly occupied the centre of this chapel , which is now found built into the walls of the vault that surrounds the Bermingham tomb , erected in 1815 by a Frederick Hamilton . The effigy on the original tomb is now placed in an upright position within the chapel . It represents a knight in a suit of plate armour , with a crucifix on the breast attached around the neck by a chain . The effigy is more than likely dedicated to Sir William Bermingham . Kinnefad Castle , County Offaly . At Kinnefad ( Ceann - atha - fada , " the head of the ford , ” ) just outside Edenderry is another stronghold of the Berminghams dating from the 14th century . The eastern wall is missing allowing a view of the internal structure including a few remaining flag stones from a spiral staircase . The author Wilde in ' The Beauties of the Boyne and its Tributary , the Blackwater ' describes Kinnefad as : “ A large square block of building , measuring 47 feet by 39 , on the outside , the external walls being quite perfect . It appears , from its few and narrow windows , as well as its general design , to have belonged to an earlier era than the modern part of the Castle of Carbury , when strength influenced the builder more than attention to comfort . Kinnefad Castle stands beside a shallow in the river which the local traditions say was often the scene of fierce conflict . Lord Downshire ’ s agent at Edenderry has in his possession several weapons of great antiquity , dug up near this place , celts , sword - blades , spear - heads , etc . “ Monasteroris Monastery , County Offaly . Monasteroris is located on farm - land as are the majority of the Bermingham castles . Very little exists of Monasteroris today and most of the remains are overgrown with ivy . The name of the friary , Monasteroris comes from the Irish version of the name mainistir Mhic Fheorais , the monastery of the son of Feorais . This is the monastery John de Bermingham , Earl of Louth built for the friars of the area in 1325 . The O ' Connors , an ancient Gaelic clan of this area used the friary as a fort . The building was severely damaged during a siege by the Lord Lieutenant in 1521 , however the friars stayed in the area for another fifty years . They returned to the site around 1645 . After the removal of the friars in Cromwellian times , there was little evidence of Franciscan activity in the area until the friars took on parish work in the Rhode - Daingean area in the eighteenth century . Fr . Matthew Walsh , vicar of Daingean , who died in 1794 , was the last friar of Monasteroris . Blundell Castle , County Offaly . Blundell castle sits atop a hill which overlooks the town of Edenderry and has for its companion a water tower . The castle was built in the 15th century by the De Berminghams . In the 16th century it was held by the Colley family and as a result , Edenderry became known as Coolestown or Colleytown . Sir George Colley defended the castle from attack by the O ' Neill forces in 1599 during the Nine Years ' War . In May 1691 the army of James II attacked the castle and it has been derelict ever since . A tunnel entrance can be found in the vicinity of Blundel and Edenderry locals say this tunnel runs between Blundal and Carbury castle , a distance of about five miles . If the tunnel actually connects both castles it may have been installed by the Berminghams as a means of communication in times of conflict . During the 19th century Edenderry was governed by a Lord Downshire and it has been said that his wife used this tunnel to meet her lover at Carbury . It seems however that this affair was discovered by Downshire and consequently he murdered his wife . Baldungan Church , County Dublin . About two miles from Lusk are the ruins of Baldongan Church , with impressive views over the surrounding country and sea . This building was probably founded by the Barnewall family late in the thirteenth century from whom it passed by marriage to the De Berminghams . From the De Berminghams it later went to the house of St . Laurence , possibly by the marriage of Lady Elizabeth Bermingham , daughter to Thomas Bermingham , Lord Athenry to Christopher St . Laurance , Earl of Howth . Athenry Castle and Priory , County Galway . Athenry Monastery was built by Meiler Bermingham in 1241 . He paid 160 marks ( £106 . 67 ) and requested other noblemen as well as his own knights and esquires , according to their ranks and means , to give subsidy and aid in the building of a monastery . He also gave gifts of wine , English cloth , and horses for drawing stones . When completed he presented this monastery to the Dominican friars together with another 160 marks so that they could build an abbey . Athenry castle is also attributed to Meiler de Bermingham and stands on an artificial mound from an earlier period . It is likely Meiler got a direct grant of lands in Athenry from Richard de Burgh . He was granted a market and fair in Athenry by King Henry III in 1244 : " The King to all , & c . as above . Know ye that We have granted , and by this our Charter confirmed , to Meyler de Burmingeham that he and his Heirs for ever may have One Market in every Week at their Manor of Adneri on Thursday , and One Fair there in Year to last for Eights Days , & c . as above ; unless that Market and that Fair be to the Detriment of the neighbouring Markets and Fairs . Wherefore We will , & c . Witnesses and given as above . " Dunmore Castle , County Galway . Dunmore – from the Irish an Dún Mór , meaning the big fort . Dunmore Castle is a fortified tower which was built by the De Berminghams in about 1225 . It was burned by the Irish in 1249 , 1284 and 1315 . In the early 14th century it was raised by a second storey and in the 16th century a gabled roof , fireplaces and chimneys were added . The De Bermingham family held the castle until Cromwellian times and it was inhabited up until the 19th century .