Thoor Ballylee
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About this place
Thoor Ballylee Castle (Irish Túr Bhaile Uí Laí) is a fortified, 15th-century Anglo-Norman tower house built by the septs de Burgo, or Burke, near the town of Gort in County Galway, Ireland. It is also known as Yeats's Tower because it was once owned and inhabited by the poet William Butler Yeats. It has been described as "the most important public building in Ireland" by late Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney.
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Updated 2026-11-14
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Getting There & Parking
Thoor Ballylee is located in County Galway, roughly 34 km (30 min drive) from Galway and 217 km (3h 10m) from Dublin. Nearby highlights within a short drive include Kiltartan Castle (2.6 km away).
Galway34 km
~30 min driveLimerick64 km
~55 min driveDublin217 km
~3h 10m driveVideos
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