On our way to our accommodation in Lisacul, we stopped in Portlaoise for lunch at Supermac’s and to pick up our Three Ireland prepaid SIM before continuing west. With a bit of time to spare, we planned a detour to Rindoon Castle, a ruined medieval castle on the shores of Lough Ree in County Roscommon. What we found instead was a locked gate — and, after a bit of improvising, a genuinely pleasant little spot called Judy’s Harbour.
What Rindoon Castle Actually Is
Rindoon is one of Ireland’s more unusual historical sites: not just a castle, but the remains of an entire deserted medieval town. It sits on a headland jutting out into Lough Ree, a few kilometres east of Lecarrow, and was founded in the early 13th century as an Anglo-Norman stronghold. The castle itself is thought to date to around 1227, built by Geoffrey de Marisco as part of a fortified settlement that once included town walls, a church, a harbour, and even earthworks cutting across the headland to defend it on the landward side. During the Gaelic resurgence of the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the town was sacked and eventually abandoned altogether, leaving behind what’s often described as one of the best-preserved deserted medieval towns in Ireland — castle ruins, wall fragments, and building foundations scattered across a peaceful headland on the lake.
On paper, it sounded like exactly the kind of overlooked, atmospheric ruin we love stopping at.
Why We Couldn’t Get In
Unfortunately, when we arrived, it quickly became clear that Rindoon Castle wasn’t going to happen for us. The site sits on private land, and the access route was blocked by a locked gate with a clearly posted “Strictly No Trespassing” sign. Despite being a National Monument, actual public access appears to depend on the landowner, and on the day we visited, it simply wasn’t open. If you’re planning a visit yourself, it’s worth checking locally or with Roscommon Tourism beforehand rather than assuming you’ll be able to walk straight in, as we did.
Finding an Alternative: Judy’s Harbour Car Park
Rather than give up on the area entirely, we went looking for somewhere else nearby to stretch our legs, and came across Judy’s Harbour Car Park — a small car park right by the shore of Lough Ree. It’s nothing spectacular: just a modest parking area with a short footpath leading down to the water. But that’s kind of the point. It turned out to be a genuinely nice, low-key place for a short break, with a quiet view out across the lake that made for a relaxed stop after the disappointment of the locked gate at Rindoon.
If you find yourself in the same situation — turned away from Rindoon Castle with some time to kill — Judy’s Harbour is a solid backup option just a short drive away.
Our Rindoon Castle detour on video
Not every castle on the map is easy to reach. Here’s how our detour to Rindoon and Judy’s Harbour on Lough Ree actually played out.
Rindoon Castle: 🎥 See how our detour to Rindoon Castle and Judy’s Harbour played out – watch from 6:42.
Or watch the full video of our first day in Ireland, from the ferry at sunrise to our arrival in Lisacul.
Final Thoughts
Not every stop on a road trip goes to plan, and Rindoon Castle was a good reminder of that. It’s a shame the site wasn’t accessible when we visited, especially given how much history is packed into that stretch of Lough Ree shoreline. Still, ending up at Judy’s Harbour instead turned what could have been a wasted stop into a quiet, pleasant little break by the water — sometimes the backup plan works out just fine.
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What we used on our Ireland road trip
📶 Mobile data
We used a local Three SIM — an eSIM is the easiest alternative if you want data from the moment you land. Get an Ireland eSIM from Airalo
🚁 Our drone
Most of our aerial shots were filmed with the Potensic Atom 2. Check the current price on Amazon
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Every stop on this blog is also on our YouTube channel — the drives, the detours and the van-life reality in between.
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← Previous stop: Supermac’s, our first taste of Irish fast food
Next stop (day 2) → Lough Key Forest and Activity Park
🗺️ See every stop on our interactive Ireland road trip map.
Planning your own Ireland road trip? Check our Three Ireland prepaid SIM post, our Duckett’s Grove post, and our Ireland facts before you go.