8 Irish Castles Where the Same Family Has Lived for 800 Years

Irish castles where the same family came closest to the impossible eight-century chain — and the moment, in most cases, when it finally broke. In this video, we explore 8 Irish castles ranked by the length of their family residence: Howth Castle (St Lawrence / Gaisford-St Lawrence family, 1177 to 2019 — 842 years, the longest unbroken chain in Irish castle history, ended just six years ago); Dromoland and the O'Brien clan, 32 generations of direct male descent from Brian Boru, High King of Ireland who fell at Clontarf in 1014; Malahide Castle (Talbot family, 1185 to 1973 — broken by inheritance tax); Castle Leslie (Leslie family since 1665, still resident); Birr Castle (Parsons / Earls of Rosse, since 1620); Killyleagh Castle in County Down (Hamilton family, since 1610); Kilkenny Castle (Butler / Earls of Ormonde, 1391 to 1967); and Bunratty Castle. Featuring the words of Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin (1943–2023), on how his family survived a thousand years of Irish history. 🔗 Sources & further reading: Dromoland Estate & The O'Brien Clan Foundation — https://www.obrienclan.com Malahide Castle (Fingal County Council & Shannon Heritage) — https://www.malahidecastleandgardens.ie Birr Castle Demesne (Earls of Rosse) — https://www.birrcastle.com Castle Leslie Estate — https://www.castleleslie.com Kilkenny Castle (Office of Public Works) — https://www.kilkennycastle.ie 👉 Subscribe for more videos on the history of the British Isles that mainstream content rushes past. #IrishCastles #Ireland #IrishHistory #BrianBoru #HowthCastle #Dromoland #Kilkenny #AngloIrish #UKHistory #CelticHistory #Documentary