Built in 1583 by Adam Loftus, Archbishop of Dublin, it combines a defensible Elizabethan corner-towered house with lavish 18th-century Georgian interiors by James 'Athenian' Stuart. The contrast between the bare structural shell and the ornate decorated rooms makes it a unique OPW conservation project.
Visiting Rathfarnham Castle
Yes, OPW managed, guided tours
"Built in 1583 by Adam Loftus, Archbishop of Dublin, it combines a defensible Elizabethan corner-towered house with lavish 18th-century Georgian interiors by James 'Athenian' Stuart."
Where to stay nearby
The closest castle hotel is Clontarf Castle, 9.44 km away in Clontarf, Dublin — Site of a castle built in 1172 by the Norman Hugh de Lacy near the site of the 1014 Battle of Clontarf; the present building is a Victorian reconstruction dating to 1837 designed by William Vitruvius Morrison.
Nearest castle hotel · 9.44 km
Clontarf Castle
Clontarf, Dublin, Co. Dublin · 4-star
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