View source for O'Dea Castle

{{Short description|Fortified tower house in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = O'Dea Castle
| native_name =
| image = Odea castle.jpg
| caption = O'Dea Castle
| locmapin = Ireland
| coordinates = {{coord|52|54|41|N|9|3|59|W|display=inline,title}}
| location = {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} south of [[Corofin, County Clare|Corofin]], [[County Clare]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| area =
| built = 1470–90
| architect = 
| architecture =
| governing_body =
| designation1 = 
| designation1_offname =
| designation1_date =
| designation1_number = 
}}

'''O'Dea Castle''', also known as Dysert O'Dea Castle, is an [[Ireland|Irish]] fortified [[tower house]], loosely described as a castle<ref>Ua Croinin and Breen comment in ''The Other Clare'', 1985: "The castle itself is more correctly designated a tower-house as it falls easily in the category of such fortified houses built in great numbers throughout the southern part of Ireland between 1400 and 1600." (Detailed reference below.)</ref> at Dysert O'Dea ({{Irish place name|Dísert|hermitage}}), the former [[O'Dea|O'Dea clan]] stronghold, {{convert|5|km|mi|0}} from [[Corofin, County Clare|Corofin]], [[County Clare]].<ref>[http://www.logainm.ie/104254.aspx Caisleán Uí Dheá] [[Placenames Database of Ireland]]. Retrieved 22 November 2011.</ref> It was built between 1470 and 1490 by Diarmaid O'Dea, Lord of Cineal Fearmaic, and stands some {{convert|50|ft|m}} high on a limestone outcrop base measuring {{convert|20|by|40|ft|m|0}}.<ref name="otherclare">''Dysart O'Dea Castle, Co. Clare'' by Risteard Ua Croinin and Martin Breen, ''The Other Clare'', Volume 9, page 17. Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society, April 1985.</ref> The tower is adjacent to [[Dysert O'Dea Monastery]], close to the [[R476 road (Ireland)|R476 road]].

==History==
The [[Battle of Dysert O'Dea]], which drove the [[Anglo-Normans]] from the region for over 200 years, took place at this site on 10 May 1318. The castle was built between 1470 and 1490 by Diarmaid O'Dea, Lord of Cineal Fearmaic. The [[Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond|Earl of Ormond]] took the castle from the O'Dea clan in 1570 by force. By 1584, however, they had regained it. At that time, Domhnall Maol O'Dea was listed as owner. Domhnall supported the northern Chiefs in the [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|Nine Years' War of 1594-1603]] and subsequently Dysert Castle fell to the [[Protestant]] [[Bishop of Kildare]], Daniel Neylon, who in 1594 bequeathed it to his son, John. The castle soon returned to the O'Dea clan. Conor Cron O'Dea supported the [[Irish Confederate Wars|Confederates]] and participated in the successful siege of Ballyalla Castle in 1642.

After the [[Siege of Limerick (1650–51)|fall of Limerick]] in 1651 to the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland|Cromwellian]] forces, they maintained a small garrison here. When they left, the soldiers demolished the battlements, upper floors and staircase. The Neylon family then returned but during the reign of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], Conor Cron O'Dea regained the castle. Conor's sons, Michael and James, supported the cause of [[James II of England|James II]] and once again lost the castle. The lands passed to the Synge family but the castle eventually and gradually fell into ruin.<ref name="Dysert">{{cite book|last=Cronin|first=Richard|title=Dysert O'Dea – A history trail – Guide and Map|publisher=Dysert Development Association|year=1989}}</ref>

In 1970, John O'Day of [[Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin]] (USA) purchased the tower and had it restored. The castle was then leased to the Dysert Development Association, which, with support from the Irish Tourist Board, opened it as "The Dysert O'Dea Castle Archaeology Centre" in 1986. It showed an exhibition of local artefacts from the Stone Age to 1922.<ref name="Dysert"/>

==Today==
Today, the castle is known as the ''Dysert O'Dea Castle and Archaeological Trails'', and is open to the public from May to August. The archeology trails include sites around the tower, including the remains of the [[Dysert O'Dea Monastery]].

==See also==
* [[Tower houses in Britain and Ireland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''O'Dea: Ua Deághaidh: The Story of a Rebel Clan'', by Risteárd Ua Cróinín (Richard Cronin), Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, Ireland, 1992. {{ISBN|0-946538-07-7}}.
* ''Irish Battles – A Military History of Ireland'', by [[Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy|G.A. Hayes-McCoy]], Appletree Press, 1990,  {{ISBN|0-86281-250-X}}

==External links==
{{commons category|O'Dea Castle}}
* [http://www.dysertcastle.com/ Dysert O'Dea Castle] – official site
* [http://www.odeaclan.org O'Dea Clan Site]

{{clear}}
{{Dalcassians}}
{{Historic Irish houses}}
{{Tourism in County Clare}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Castles in County Clare]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Museums in County Clare]]
[[Category:Archaeological museums in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Tower houses in the Republic of Ireland]]