This beautiful collection of cigarette cards depicts 35 Irish castles at the beginning of the last century. They were produced by Mcnaughton and Jenkins, a Dublin based tobacco company who operated during the early 1900s. The cards were issued with the ‘Kerry Blue’ brand of cigarettes and were intended as collectables, to encourage further purchases. The artist who painted the images is not named but a small number of the cards are initialled J. W. C. It’s possibly that this stands for Joseph William Carey, an artist who was active during this period and whose work is of similar style.
The castle names were left blank on the original cards and instead the company offered a prize to anyone who could identify them all. As a result there are a number of castles below whose location I am unsure of. If you know any the missing castle names please leave a comment at bottom. Thanks!
1 The Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary
2. Blarney Castle, Co. Cork
3 Lismore Castle, Waterford
4 Johnstown Castle, Wexford
5 Carlingford Castle, Louth
6 Ballygally Castle, Antrim
7 Askeaton castle, Limerick
8. Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny
9. Menlo Castle, Galway
10. Trim Castle, Meath
11. Doe Castle, Co. Donegal
12 Enniscorthy Castle, Wexford
13 Narrow Water, Down
14 King John’s Castle, Limerick
15 Carrickfergus Castle, Antrim
16 Dunluce Castle, Antrim
17 Shane’s Castle, Co. Antrim
18. Adare Castle, Limerick
19 Blackrock Castle, Cork
20 Castle Roche, Louth
21 The Rock of Dunamase, Laois?
22. Castle location uncertain
23 Carrigadrohid Castle, Cork
24 Malahide Castle, Dublin
25. Castle location uncertain
26. Donegal Castle, Donegal
27. Benburb Castle, Tyrone
28. Ross Island Castle, Kerry
29. Glenveagh castle, Co. Donegal
30. Dunservick Castle, Antrim
31 Kylemore Abbey, Galway
32. Possibly Cahir Castle, Tipperary
33. Greencastle, Donegal
34. Castle location uncertain
35 Oranmore Castle, Galway
Notes
Images are public domain and via New York Public Library
I think number 27 is Benburb castle from the Armagh side of ths river Blackwater,looking across at Tyrone.
Thanks Austin 🙂
No.13 is Narrow water Castle, Co. Down.
No.33 is Greencastle, Co.Donegal
Thanks Peter, they look like good matches
No. 35 is Oranmore Castle, Co Galway
(see modern day view from the same angle: http://www.galwayphotographssite.com/county/oranmore_castle.html)
Thanks Joe, it looks a good match
No.32 probably Chair Castle, Co. Tipperary
No.34 could be Inchmore Castle Co. Kilkenny http://archiseek.com/2014/inchmore-castle-co-kilkenny/
Thanks Peter, it could be Cahir alright, from an unusual angle
I think No.32 is Cahir Castle, Co. Tipperary
And No.34 might be Inchmore Castle, Co. Kilkenny
http://archiseek.com/2014/inchmore-castle-co-kilkenny/
No. 9 is Menlo Castle, on the Corrib outside Galway.
Thanks Patrick
No.25 is Rathfarnham. – not from the usual angle
I’m not sure Peter, the chimneys/turrets look wrong, also the doorway
Is 22 maybe Castlegar?
No 34 might be Castle Caulfield, Tyrone – only problem is there is a wing missing.
Yes, definitely Castlecaulfield in Tyrone.
I think no 25 is Charlemont fort on the Tyrone /Armagh border overlooking the river blackwater.