Medieval castle for sale in North Cork 

Blackwater Castle in Castletownroche, a 1,000-year-old piece of old Cork, is on the market with a guide price of €2 million.

The nine-bed single-family home is steeped in history, with habitable sections of the castle dating back to the early 15th century making it one of the oldest habitable houses in Ireland.

Blackwater Castle is a true medieval site of architectural importance: an ancient promontory fort dates from the late Bronze age and Iron ages, while beautiful architectural features include a 12th-century round tower, a 15th-century tower house, watch towers, a Sheela na Gig, defence walls, and the Holy Well of St Patrick.

The castle complex comes in at about 890 sqm (9,579 sq ft) of living space, including nine bedrooms, six reception rooms, a professional kitchen, a dry store, large utility and basement restrooms.

All of this is set on 24ha (60 Acres) of grounds laid out in mature Irish woodlands.

About 1km of the River Awbeg runs through the estate, with private double-bank fishing rights to the river.

The house is surrounded by a stone-fronted courtyard, a delightful walled garden and is a 500m walk from the village of Castletownroche. The site is about 16km to Mallow and Fermoy.

Blackwater Castle grounds are steeped in heritage with a history that extends back some 10,000 years. The Castle has played host to nobility throughout the centuries, being a centre for hospitality from past to present and home to Gaelic Chieftains and Norman Lords.

It remains a sought-after location with recent visitors including President Michael D Higgins and The King of Pop Michael Jackson. Less welcome visitors in the past include Sir Walter Raleigh who captured the castle in 1580 and Oliver Cromwell who laid siege to the castle in 1649.

Once home to the Viscount of Fermoy and the Lords of the Barony of Fermoy, the site's history spans thousands of years, originally populated during the early Mesolithic period. There is further evidence that the site had been occupied during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age too when it was known as the fortress of Dún Crúadha.

The Sheela Na Gig at Blackwater Castle is located on the ground floor of the tower house and dates from the early Christian period, maybe as early as the ninth century. The first historical record of the Sheela was documented by ordnance surveyors in 1837 when it was positioned by the river's edge. It was later relocated to the Castle by 1934, where she has remained since.

With the build timeline extending from 1190 to 1825, this commanding fort is the perfect example of a medieval castle with many of the original Norman features still intact.

On entering the main residence, six welcoming reception rooms include a breakfast room, dining room, tea room, bar area, piano room and a library along with a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

Tipperary-based Auctioneer Roseanne De Vere Hunt is managing the sale on behalf of Sherry Fitzgerald Country Homes and Christie’s International Real Estate.