Parkavonear Castle
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Parkavonear Castle is a 13th Century Norman castle ruin, situated at Aghadoe, overlooking the lakes of Killarney, Ireland. It was built following the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169.
The building is two stories high, and unusually is built in a cylindrical design, rather than the more common rectangular shape. The walls are 2 metres thick, and the internal floor space is several metres wide. There is a staircase within the wall joining the two floors. An entrance has been made into the lower floor, but originally the only entry would have been to the higher floor, enabling the occupants to pull in the ladder in time of attack. Only the rock parts of the structure remain as the wooden floors and roof have deteriorated and been removed.
An earthen rampart would have been part of the defences, but this has been levelled over the years.
Parkavonear Castle takes its name from Paírc An Mhóinéir, meaning Field of the Meadow in Irish. It is sometimes spelt Parkvonear, however local spelling includes the middle letter 'a'.
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