Dromoland Castle

Dromoland Castle
Entrance to Dromoland Castle
General information
Status	5-star luxury hotel
Type	castle
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Location	County Clare
Country	Ireland
Estimated completion	15th/16th century (original) 1835 (current structure)
Design and construction
Architect	James and George Richard Pain (current structure)

Dromoland Castle
Restaurant information
Head chef	Jean Baptiste Molinari
Rating	Michelin Guide (1995)
City	Newmarket-on-Fergus
Country	Ireland

Dromoland Castle (Irish: Drom Ólainn) is a castle, now a 5-star luxury hotel with golf course, located near Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland. Its restaurant, the Earl of Thomond, was awarded a Michelin star in 1995, under head chef Jean Baptiste Molinari.

The present building was completed in 1835. However, the first building constructed here seems to have been a tower house built in the 15th or early 16th century and is recorded as being erected by Thomas, the son of Shane Mac Anerheny. There were at least three houses on the site, at various times, called Dromoland. While Dromoland later became residence of eight generations of the O'Brien family, early records suggest that the area was also occupied by other local Gaelic families, such as the McInerney family during the 16th century. According to the historian James Frost, Dromoland translates as the "Hill of Litigation".

In 1551 Dromoland was listed in the will of Murrough O'Brien. He was first Tanist and in 1543 had been granted the title of first Earl of Thomond by Henry VIII. Murrough bequeathed Leamaneh Castle to his third son Donough MacMurrough O'Brien. He also gave him the castle and lands at Dromoland. In 1582 Donough was hanged in Limerick on charges of rebellion. The government decided that all his property would be forfeited to the Queen. Sir George Cusack, the sheriff, took possession of Dromoland. Some years later, Turlough O'Brien killed Cusack and various O'Briens attempted to re-possess Dromoland. The fourth Earl of Thomond claimed to have sole ownership and tried to exclude Donough's son, Conor MacDonough O'Brien. The outcome of this dispute is unclear.

In 1604 when Conor O'Brien died he left Dromoland to his son, Donough MacConor O'Brien. Donough, whose mother was Slany O'Brien, was then only about eight years old. A legal battle ensued between the fourth Earl and Slany O'Brien. The dispute was settled by arbitration in 1613. The Earl, by now Lord Thomond, became owner of Dromoland on payment of Ј132.13.4. in compensation to Slany O'Brien. When Donough was older, he refused to abide by the settlement. By 1614 a William Starkey was leasing Dromoland from Lord Thomond. By 1628 Lord Thomond was dead and Donough continued the dispute through the Court of Wards and Liveries in Dublin. In 1629 Donough was granted entry "on all the manors, lands and tenements of his late father" on payment of a fine. However, Dromoland was not listed among the many properties named, and it rested with the Earls of Thomond for another fifty years. The fifth Earl did transfer two other properties to Donough as compensation.