Ireland’s abandoned places and their tragic tales

A glimpse into the past

From ancient castles and crumbling cottages to mysterious shipwrecks and decaying forts, Ireland has an array of eerie abandoned sites. Their unique aesthetic and fascinating histories are celebrated in Abandoned Ireland by Dominic Connolly, published by Amber Books Ltd.

Click through the gallery to see a selection of incredible images taken from the book...

Abandoned cottage, Isle of Doagh, County Donegal

The Isle of Doagh, which hasn’t actually been an island since the end of the last Ice Age, is a small peninsula in the north of Inishowen on the north coast of County Donegal. It’s home to the ruined Carrickabraghy Castle, one of the most iconic historic sites in the area, and also the ruins of this somewhat more humble abode.

While the castle has been uninhabited since 1665, the abandoned cottage is an indication of the more recent rural depopulation which has affected the area.

SS Justicia shipwreck, off County Donegal

The SS Justicia was initially launched as the Statendam in 1914 and intended to be a luxury passenger liner. However, with little demand for transatlantic crossings during World War I, she was requisitioned by the British Government and renamed Justicia (Latin for Justice).

Entering service as a troop carrier in 1917 she was sunk by U-boats off Malin Head in 1918 while heading from Belfast to New York to pick up troops. Sixteen crew members lost their lives. While one of the attacking U-boats managed to escape, another was forced to the surface and itself destroyed.

Derelict cottage, Waterville, County Kerry

Ireland is littered with derelict cottages, signs of rural depopulation or of people leaving to seek better prospects elsewhere.

Although County Kerry was Ireland’s most popular tourist destination by the early 20th century, with visitors flocking to the ‘Ring of Kerry,’ a stunning coastal route through mountains, towns and villages such as Waterville, locals saw little financial gain. Many left the county, never to return.

Central Hide and Skin Co Ltd, Dublin

Watling Street, where this eerie boarded-up and barbed-wire-bedecked building stands, is situated in the historic Liberties area of Dublin. In the 18th and 19th centuries the area was dominated by the tanning, skinning and brewing industries.

Back in 1850, there were 19 houses on the street where trades connected to the leather industry were practised. The Central Hide and Skin Co Ltd, which ceased trading in 1984, appears to have been one of the last such businesses in the area.

Minard Castle, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry

The remains of Minard Castle stand majestically on a hill overlooking the picturesque Kilmurry Bay. Constructed in the mid-16th century for the Fitzgerald clan, the castle’s ruined state is the result of an attack by Oliver Cromwell’s English troops in 1650.

Charges were detonated at all four corners of the building but miraculously it was strong enough to stay standing. However, all those inside were killed during the assault and structural damage meant that the castle was rendered uninhabitable.

Fort Dunree, County Donegal

Fort Dunree is a coastal defence fortification originally constructed during the Napoleonic wars. The fort was later modernised and enlarged in the late 19th century. After the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 it was one of three strategically important forts that remained under British sovereignty.

It was eventually handed over to the Irish Free State in 1938. Today the fort is an outdoor museum with the decaying buildings preserved as they were after the end of World War II.

Lackeen Castle, County Tipperary

Lackeen Castle is often said to date back to the 12th century, although others suggest it is more likely to be from the 16th century. Whatever the true date of its original construction, it was restored during the 18th century at which time the Stowe Missal, an illuminated manuscript from the late 8th or 9th century was discovered hidden there.

The manuscript is now held in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.

MV Alta, County Cork

Mystery surrounds the MV Alta which washed up on the Cork shoreline in February 2020. The ship is known to have suffered engine failure around 1,350 miles (2,200km) southeast of Bermuda in October 2018. However, after the crew were rescued by the US Coast Guard, impending storms meant that the boat had to be left to drift.

There was only one confirmed sighting before it reached Irish territorial waters and was forced onto the rocky coast by storms. Seemingly abandoned by its yet to be identified owners it has since become something of a tourist attraction.

Moore Hall, County Mayo

Although now little more than a shell, the picturesque, overgrown ruin of Moore Hall still exudes a decidedly eerie atmosphere. Completed in 1796 it was built as the home of George Moore, a wine merchant who had made his fortune in Spain.

Apparently, the family was warned not to build on the site, which was considered unlucky as a druid had been killed there around AD 400. And perhaps there was some truth to the legend, as Moore Hall was burned down by the IRA in 1923 and has remained empty ever since. 

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D.W. Parke Chemist, Clonmel, County Tipperary

A local landmark for over 150 years, the ornate wooden facade and gilt signage of this chemist and optician shop in Clonmel’s Gladstone Street have remained unchanged for decades. Its founder, DW Parke was a Protestant in a predominantly Catholic community who emigrated to America after the founding of the Irish free state in 1918 when his customers began to shun him due to his religious beliefs.

The shop has been abandoned for decades but in 2020 it received an £8,422 (€10,000) heritage grant to repair the roof and there are plans to restore the building and reopen it as a museum. 

Templemore Baths, Belfast

Opened in 1893, Belfast’s Templemore Baths provided vital washing and sanitary facilities for local workers whose homes were not equipped with running water. Over the years they have also served as a children’s hospital and, during World War II, as a temporary morgue.

The building closed in 2020 for a long overdue redevelopment, and now Ireland’s last remaining Victorian public baths have been reopened to the public, preserving many of the original features (including the swimming pool, pictured here pre-restoration) along with modern fitness and spa facilities.

Roche Castle, County Louth

Perched on a rocky hilltop, the imposing ruin of Castle Roche has a somewhat macabre history. According to legend, this 13th century Anglo-Norman fortress was built for the recently widowed Lady Rohesia de Verdun who promised her hand in marriage to whoever would build her a castle on the site.

However, after their wedding banquet, she lured the unfortunate architect to the window of the bridal suite and pushed him out. This window is now known, rather aptly, as the 'Murder Window' and some say that it's haunted.

Clifden Castle, County Galway

This impressive Gothic Revival castle, dating from around 1812, was built for John D’Arcy, a prominent landowner and founder of nearby Clifden Town. However, the family’s vast estates dwindled rapidly during the Irish Potato Famine of the mid-19th century, and they were eventually declared bankrupt.

The castle then passed from owner to owner, gradually falling into disrepair, and by the beginning of the 20th century only the stone shell remained. Now overgrown with thick ivy, the castle still has a picturesque charm and is a popular tourist spot.

Blarney Castle, County Cork

One of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions, this monumental castle was built in the 15th century for Cormac MacCarthy, one of the country’s greatest chieftains. It’s best known as the home of the legendary Blarney Stone, which is said to impart the gift of eloquence to anyone who kisses it, but the castle has much else to offer besides.

A hugely impressive ruin, it has a fascinating history, and its sheer size makes it a great place to explore, along with its surrounding gardens.

Bad Eddie, Bunbeg, County Donegal

Bad Eddie (or ‘Eddie's Boat’) has become a familiar landmark on Bunbeg's Magheraclogher beach in County Donegal. The French-built boat belonged to local fisherman Eddie Gillespie but was washed ashore in 1977. Since then, it has spent the last 50 years slowly disintegrating in the face of relentless coastal winds and rain.

The picturesque wreck has become a famous tourist spot, and inspired work by poets, painters and musicians. Clannad and U2 singer Bono filmed the video for their single In a Lifetime here in 1985.

Ballingeary food market, County Cork

These disused petrol pumps once served passing drivers at an abandoned food market in the remote village of Ballingeary in the Shehy Mountains near the border with County Kerry in the southwest of Ireland. This secluded village has a large Irish-speaking population and is close to Gougane Barra, a scenic forested valley and heritage site, full of woodland trails, rustic bridges and a tranquil lake.

It’s also home to St. Finbarr’s Oratory, a small 6th century chapel located on an island in the lake.

Find out more

All images are taken from the book Abandoned Ireland by Dominic Connolly (ISBN 978-1-83886-315-9) published by Amber Books Ltd (www.amberbooks.co.uk) and available from bookshops and online booksellers (RRP £19.99/$29.99/CAN$38.99).

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