🇮🇪 We're from here26 short filmsHistory · People · Places
History of Carlow — Carlow Castle, Walt Disney & Famous People
The history of Carlow stretches from prehistoric monuments and early Christian Ireland to Carlow Castle, the 1798 Rebellion and some remarkable local connections. Walt Disney's ancestors came from County Carlow, Myles Keogh from Leighlinbridge died at Custer's Last Stand, and Browne's Hill Dolmen carries one of Europe's heaviest megalithic capstones. We're Nicola and Pádraig and we're from Carlow, so this guide brings together the stories, places and famous people that make the county far more interesting than many visitors realise.
history of Carlowthings to do in Carlowfamous people from CarlowBrowne's Hill DolmenDuckett's Grove CarlowWalt Disney Irish roots
Famous people from Carlow
You won't believe who came from here
A Hollywood legend's family roots, a soldier at Custer's Last Stand and scientists who changed the world. All from the smallest county in Leinster.
🎬 Hollywood connection
Walt Disney's Ancestors Are Buried in Carlow
⚔️ Military history
The Carlow Man Who Died at Custer's Last Stand
🔬 Science & discovery
The Scientists from Carlow Who Changed the World
History, dark tales & forgotten stories
The history of Carlow they didn't teach you in school
A student executed for his role in the War of Independence, an 18th-century female serial killer and a saint who left his name on a European city. All from County Carlow.
🕯️ War of Independence
Kevin Barry's Last Cigarette — A Carlow Connection
The Carlow Saint Who Left His Name on a European City
Places to see in Carlow
The places that make Carlow worth stopping for
One of Ireland's great gardens, a world-class local museum, a cathedral pulpit with a story nobody knows — and a megalithic dolmen hiding in plain sight.
🌿 Gardens
Altamont Gardens — One of Ireland's Best Kept Secrets
🏛️ Museum
Carlow County Museum — Better Than You'd Expect
⛪ Architecture
The Cathedral Pulpit with a Remarkable Hidden Story
22 saints, one county — and a sugar factory that shaped a town
The early Christian heritage of Carlow is extraordinary — and the industrial history of the county is just as fascinating.
⛪ Early Christian heritage
22 Saints From One Small Corner of Carlow
🏭 Industrial history
The Sugar Factory That Defined a Generation in Carlow
🤯 Mad Facts About Carlow
The stories that make people say "wait, that happened in Carlow?"
A doctor who blew up a medieval castle trying to convert it into a lunatic asylum. A Gothic mansion burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances with a banshee curse attached. And a prehistoric tomb with a capstone heavier than anything else in Europe — sitting in a field three kilometres from the town centre. This is the history of Carlow, ladies and gentlemen.
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The Doctor Who Blew Up Carlow Castle
Carlow Castle survived six centuries of war, sieges and Cromwell — only to be largely destroyed in 1814 by Dr Philip Parry Middleton. While converting it into an asylum, he used gunpowder to thin the walls and brought down the two eastern towers. One contemporary called him a “ninny-pated physician.”
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Duckett's Grove — the Banshee, the Curse and the Mysterious Fire
Once the centrepiece of a 12,000-acre estate, Duckett's Grove burned on 20 April 1933 for reasons never officially established. Local legend adds a family curse and a banshee said to haunt the Gothic towers. Today the ruins and restored walled gardens are free to visit.
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Browne's Hill Dolmen — Older Than the Pyramids, Three Minutes from Town
Just three kilometres from Carlow town, this Neolithic portal tomb predates the Egyptian pyramids by more than a thousand years. Its unexcavated granite capstone is estimated at 100–150 tonnes, making it the heaviest megalithic capstone in Europe. It is free to visit.
🗺️ Carlow City & County Guide
Our local guide to Carlow
Our at-a-glance guide brings together attractions, places to eat, coffee stops, pubs, shopping, easy day trips and Nicola's own suggestion for a perfect Carlow day.
🚶 Guided Walking Tour of Carlow
Book a private guided walking tour of Carlow town
There are no official guided walking tours of Carlow town — which is exactly why we started offering them. Nicola is a fully accredited Irish tour guide who has called Carlow home for over 20 years. Whether you are looking for things to do in Carlow, a unique private tour of Carlow town or a Carlow heritage experience unlike anything else in Ireland — this is it.
🗺️ See the complete nine-stop walking route
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Carlow CastleThe gunpowder disaster of 1814 — and 600 years of history before that
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Cathedral of the AssumptionThe remarkable pulpit story and the architecture behind it
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Poor Clares ConventThe story of the Poor Clares and their place in Carlow's history
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Capuchin FriaryHistory, significance and the Carlow connection to Kevin Barry
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Wellington BridgeWhy it's named after the Duke of Wellington and what happened here
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Town HallThe building, its history and what Carlow town looked like around it
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The HaymarketThe old market area — who traded here and what it once looked like
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The Lucinda Sly Execution SiteWhere Carlow's most notorious 18th-century killer met her end
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A pint of O'Hara's in Corcoran's BarCarlow's oldest bar — est. 1768. The perfect ending.
⏱️ 90 minutes👥 Private groups only🏅 Fully accredited guide💬 Enquire for pricing
Walt Disney's ancestors, the doctor who blew up the castle, the woman hanged in the Haymarket, the saint who became patron of the Netherlands — told by someone who lives and breathes the history of this county. No other guided tour in Carlow tells these stories.
🧭 Plan Your Carlow & Ireland Trip
Tours, activities and experiences
If you're building Carlow into a wider Ireland trip, these are the booking platforms we use on the site.
TourRadarMulti-day tours
Explore Ireland by organised tour
Compare longer Ireland itineraries with the transport and route already arranged.
Browse activities, guided heritage tours and day trips from Dublin into Leinster.
Disclosure: These are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
❓ Carlow History FAQ
Common questions about the history of Carlow
What is the history of Carlow town?
Carlow town has been continuously settled since at least the early Christian period. It became a significant Anglo-Norman stronghold with the construction of Carlow Castle in the early 13th century. The town played a role in the 1798 Rebellion, has connections to Daniel O'Connell, Kevin Barry and the War of Independence, and is home to some of Ireland's finest Georgian architecture including the Courthouse designed by William Vitruvius Morrison. Today the history of Carlow is preserved across its castle, cathedral, museum and the surrounding countryside.
What is Carlow famous for?
Carlow is famous for its extraordinary history — Walt Disney's ancestors are buried here, Myles Keogh who died at Custer's Last Stand was from Leighlinbridge, 22 early Christian saints came from one small area of the county, and Browne's Hill Dolmen just outside town has the largest megalithic capstone in Europe. Oh, and a local doctor blew up Carlow Castle in 1814 trying to convert it into a lunatic asylum.
Is Carlow worth visiting?
Absolutely. Carlow is one of the most underrated counties in Ireland — small, compact and packed with extraordinary history. Browne's Hill Dolmen, Carlow Castle, Altamont Gardens, Duckett's Grove, the County Museum and the Cathedral are all within easy reach of the town centre. An excellent day trip from Dublin or Kilkenny.
Did Walt Disney have Irish roots in Carlow?
Yes — Walt Disney's ancestors on his father's side were from County Carlow, and members of the Disney family are buried in the county. One of the most extraordinary and least-known historical connections in Ireland.
Who was Myles Keogh?
Myles Keogh was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow. He served in the Papal Army in Rome, fought in the American Civil War and was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn — Custer's Last Stand — in 1876. His horse Comanche was the only US cavalry survivor of the battle.
What happened to Carlow Castle?
Carlow Castle survived 600 years of war and Cromwell — only to be largely destroyed in 1814 by Dr Philip Parry Middleton who leased it to convert into a lunatic asylum. He used gunpowder to thin the walls and used far too much, collapsing the two eastern towers. One historian called him "a ninny-pated physician."
What is Browne's Hill Dolmen?
Browne's Hill Dolmen is a Neolithic portal tomb built between 4,000 and 3,300 BC, located just 3km east of Carlow town. Its granite capstone weighs an estimated 100 to 150 tonnes — the heaviest megalithic capstone in Europe. It predates the Egyptian pyramids by over a thousand years, has never been excavated and is free to visit any time.
What is Duckett's Grove?
Duckett's Grove is a spectacular Gothic Revival mansion ruin about 10km from Carlow town. Once the centrepiece of a 12,000-acre estate, it burned to the ground in 1933 under suspicious circumstances. A banshee curse legend is attached to the ruins. The walled gardens are open to the public for free.
▶️ Watch all 26 Carlow films
Every Carlow story we've filmed, in one player — press play, then skip through with the playlist button. New ones appear here automatically.
Want more hidden Ireland?
Carlow is just one county we've filmed — we have 80 videos from all around Ireland, including plenty of brilliant spots that most people drive straight past. And if you want every Carlow story as we make it, YouTube is the place to be.
