Glin, meaning “the glen”, is a heritage-rich village on the Shannon Estuary in County Limerick.
The lands around Glin became the manor of the Knight of Glin, the FitzGerald family, after the Norman invasion in the late-12th century.
The first Glin Castle was built around 1200, with its ruins still visible today. It was the home of the Knights of Glin until 1642 when a house was built near the site of the present castle.
In the early 14th century, the Earl of Desmond made his three illegitimate sons, whom he had fathered with the wives of Irish chieftains, hereditary Knights. Thus, creating the White Knight, the Green Knight of Kerry, and the Black Knight of Glin.
For the following seven centuries, the Knights defended their lands against the troops of Elizabeth I in the late 1500s, the Cromwellian plantation of the 1650s, and the imposition of Penal laws in the late 1700s.
The present-day castle was built during the 1780s. Although it is called a castle, it is actually a Georgian house.
Glin Castle is now a luxury hotel, run by renowned English actor Dominic West and his wife, Catherine, the daughter of the 29th and last Knight of Glin.
There are a number of lovely heritage walking trails, including the beautiful Knight’s Walk.
If you would like to add any information or to advertise your business, please get in touch to feature on our website and in our ‘WanderPast the Wild Atlantic Way’ guide.
