Location: Belvelly, next to Great Island bridge Map
Constructed: 15th century
Belvelly Castle (Irish Caisleán Bhéal to Bhealaigh) is a 14th or 15th
century tower house in the small village of Belvelly in County Cork,
Ireland. The castle is located opposite the only road bridge connecting
Fota Island and Great Island, on which Cobh lies.
The castle was originally built by the Anglo-Norman family Hodnett, but
in the 14th century they took over the families De la Roch (Roche) and
De Barra (De Barry). The Hodnetts later leased their lands back. Some
sources indicate that Sir Walter Raleigh occupied the castle in the 16th
century before being recaptured by the De Barra family and Roger Boyle,
1st Earl of Orrery, garrisoned in the mid-17th century Confederate wars
in Ireland was occupied.
Until the 19th century, the castle was forfeited. During the First World
War, more people visited the castle ruins as local coachmen brought
sailors to the castle in nearby Queenstown (Cobh). Presumably, these
sailors thought they were visiting Blarney Castle and his Blarney Stone.
During the state of emergency (1939-1945) during the Second World War,
the castle was occupied by the Irish army and was rebuilt a bit.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the castle was sold and restored
in mid-2016 after obtaining a building permit for use as a private home.