What is recorded here

Castle Bellew stands in west Galway, though only a nine-metre wall and scattered stones remain. It is not a grand ruin but a quiet ghost inside an old field, and that restraint makes it harder to forget. The land still holds the shape of a home that time has almost erased.

Within a field system (GA045-009002-). Very poorly preserved remains of a castle known as 'Cloonoran Castle' (Claffey 1983, 148). Apart from the lower courses of a wall (L c. 9m), no visible surface trace survives. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

Built by the Bellew family, likely in the 15th or 16th century, Castle Bellew is remembered as part of the historical presence of this prominent Anglo-Norman family in the region. Its importance lies in its association with the Bellews, who played a significant role in local medieval and early modern history.

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