History
The castle was built by the Hynes clan around 1520, a family who may have been associated with the area since around 662. At the time, the royal palace of Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin, the legendary king of Connacht and progenitor of the clan is believed to have been in this area. According to current thinking by archeologists, the original dun was most likely a ring fort, the remains of which can be found on the small promontory just to the northeast of the current castle.
Dunguaire Castle was transferred in the 17th century to Oliver Martin (father of Richard Martin fitz Oliver). Richard Martin (or Martyn) lived here until 1642. Dunguaire Castle remained in his family. However, their main seat was Tullira (or Tulira) Castle near Gort and Dunguaire fell into disrepair. In 1924, after Edward Martyn and with him the senior line of the family had died in 1922, the surgeon and poet Oliver St. John Gogarty purchased Dunguaire. Gogarty began restoring the castle and established it as the meeting place for the leading figures of the Celtic Revival, such as W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Augusta, Lady Gregory, and John Millington Synge.
The castle was acquired in 1954 by Christobel Lady Ampthill, who completed the restoration work started by Gogarty. It was later purchased by Shannon Development, an Irish corporation that manages numerous historic tourist attractions in Ireland. During the summer months when Dunguaire Castle is open to the public, a Medieval Banquet is held every night with costumed performers who recite Irish literature and play traditional Irish music.
Dunguaire Castle was used as a filming location for the Scottish castle home of the main character in the 1979 film North Sea Hijack.
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