What it is
The castle's polygonal keep was raised by King John's justiciar to control the crossing between Leinster and Connacht, and the walls were thickened for artillery in the sixteenth century. The 1691 siege, when Williamite forces bombarded the town and crossed the river, is the centrepiece of the exhibition, alongside the story of the Shannon and of tenor John McCormack, born in the town.
The battlements look straight down on the bridge and the river.
Getting there by bus
The castle stands at the western end of the town bridge, ten minutes' walk from the railway and bus station. Town buses stop on Castle Street beside it.
Sean's Bar, the Luan Gallery and the church of Saints Peter and Paul are all within two minutes.
