The Wonderful Barn

On our way back towards Dublin from the Wicklow area, we chose a path around the city to the west.  We had no destination in mind and didn’t plan on visiting the landmark know as The Wonderful Barn ( See drone footage below for a birds-eye view of the grounds).  This unique structure was quite impressive in person.   There are a few different notions regarding its shape – a dovecote, gamekeepers tower, folly or a more practical explanation, a granary.  There was a center hole in each floor to support this theory.

The Wonderful Barn is a corkscrew-shaped building on the edge of Castletown House Estate, formerly of the Conolly family, in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.

After checking into Ard Cill B&B (we chose this B&B for its close proximity to Dublin Airport), we headed out for one last little adventure.  We headed for the cost along the Irish Sea.  R106 brought us south through Laytown.  A picturesque beach meets you at the edge of the road.

Bremore Castle

A wee bit further down the road you will pass Bremore Castle.  See video below for additional views of this restored castle.

Bremore Castle is a large tower house located north of Balbriggan, County Dublin. Estimated to have been built in the 14th century, the Norman Barnewalls family held it from the time of construction till 1727, the year in which it was sold. However, the first mention of this castle or its location was in reference to William Rosel De Brimor, who held land in England and Ireland in the end of 13th century. Its deterioration began much before the sale, and by 1783, it was termed as “not many years ago inhabited” by Austin Cooper, a prominent antiquarian of that time. Presently, this grand structure has been reduced to ruins, with the remains standing in place since the mid and late 16th century.

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