Origins to ruins

Craggaunowen Castle was built around 1550 by John MacSioda MacNamara, a descendant of Sioda MacNamara, who built Knappogue Castle in 1467.^[6] It was left in ruins in the 17th century,^[6] and rendered uninhabitable by the removal of the roof and staircase, and indefensible by removal of the battlements, at the time of the Cromwellian confiscations around 1653.^{[citation needed]}

19th century

The Tower House remained a ruin until it and the estate of Cullane House across the road, were inherited in 1821 by "Honest" Tom Steele, a confederate of Daniel O’Connell, "The Liberator".^[7]

Steele had the castle rebuilt as a summer house in the 1820s and he used it, and the turret on the hill opposite, as places of recreation. His initials can be seen on one of the quoin-stones to the right outside.^{[citation needed]} Following his death in 1848 the lands were divided, Cullane going to one branch of his family, Craggaunowen to his niece Maria Studdert.^[8] Eventually, having passed through the hands of his descendants, the castle and grounds were acquired by the "Irish Land Commission".^{[citation needed]} Much of the poor quality land was given over to forestry and the castle itself was allowed to fall into disrepair.^{[citation needed]}

By the time of the First Ordnance Survey in the 1840s, the castle was in ruins again. In the mid-19th century, the castle, herder's house and 96 acres were reported in the possession of a Reverend William Ashworth, who held them from a Caswell (a member of a family from County Clare just north of Limerick).

20th century and restoration

In 1906, a mansion house at the site was owned by Count James Considine (from a family based at Derk, County Limerick).^[9]

Craggaunowen Castle was bought and restored by antiquarian John Hunt in the 1960s. Hunt added an extension to the ground floor, which for a while housed part of his collection of antiquities. The collection was later moved to the University of Limerick and as of 2022 is held at the Hunt Museum in the city of Limerick.^[6]