Drimnagh Medieval Castle and Gardens

Dublin, Ireland, Ireland

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Drimnagh Medieval Castle and Gardens is a restored Norman castle in south Dublin, Ireland, notable for being the only castle in the country still surrounded by a water-filled moat fed by a tributary of the River Camac. Originally built in the 13th century for the Norman knight Hugo de Berneval (also known as Hugh de Bernival), who was granted the lands in 1215, the site later became the long-term home of the Barnwall (Barnwell) family and remained one of Ireland’s oldest continually inhabited castles until the mid-20th century. The stone structure, constructed from local grey limestone, includes a restored Great Hall, a medieval undercroft, a tall battlement tower with lookout posts, and ancillary buildings such as stables, a coach house, a dairy, and a folly tower. Its formal gardens, laid out in a 17th-century parterre style with manicured hedges and boxwood, are a key feature and provide a peaceful, historic setting around the moat.