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 Castles of Ireland - Gormanston Castle






Map by mapchart.net - Some rights reserved.


Location
Gormanston, County Meath, Ireland

Description
Gormanston Castle is situated near Drogheda about 30 km north of Dublin and close to the border of County Meath and County Dublin.

Gormanston Castle is an impressive castellated building with a quadrangular plan with a tower at each corner except the north west corner. The main building is three storeys. The central part of the frontage is flanked by two narrow castellated towers on either side of the entrance. The castle grounds were developed in the 1950s with the building of a boys' secondary school adjacent to the castle.

History
Gormanston Castle was the seat of the Preston family (the Viscount Gormanston) from the 14th century until it was sold to the Franciscan Order of Friars in the late 1940s. The castle now standing was built on the site of an earlier castle around 1786 by the Prestons.

The Franciscans established a boarding school for boys on the grounds in 1955, known as Gormanston College. Today, Gormanston College is a co-educational day school and boarding school, run by the Franciscan Province of Ireland.

Legends
According to tradition, the foxes of County Meath gather around the castle when the head of the Preston family is about to die.


Other Castles in the Area
  Ardgillan Castle, County Dublin
  Athcarne Castle, County Meath
  Barmeath Castle, County Louth
  Bremore Castle, County Dublin
  Castle Guard, County Louth
  Dardistown Castle, County Meath
  Dunsany Castle, County Meath
  Howth Castle, County Dublin
  Malahide Castle, County Dublin
  Monktown Castle, County Meath
  Robswall Castle, County Dublin
  Roodstown Castle, County Louth
  Slane Castle, County Meath
  Swords Castle, County Dublin







Swords Castle
Gormanston Castle front façade. Castle viewed from the south-east with school buildings visible beyond.

Photograph by Kieran Campbell. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

Swords Castle
Gormanston Castle is now a school run by the Franciscans.

Photograph by Kieran Campbell. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

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