Circular ramparts of stone, crenellated parapets and cylinders of stone rising into the endless skies, Blackrock Castle can be a formidable and seemingly impenetrable fortress built from the very backbone of the earth. When built in the 16th Century, it was for precisely that purpose, warding off smugglers, pirates and invaders attempting passage on the river’s waters.

Yet today, the fortress guards the latest findings in science and aims to nurture public interest in the process of discovery and the magical work of researchers. Take part in either of two tours or both, opening your eyes to the vast universe through Cosmos at the Castle or venturing the castle’s silent corridors and freezing, lifeless hearths as part of the Journeys of Exploration.

The first will grant you access to Ireland’s first interactive theater as you chase bits of falling stones catching fire as they hurtle through the stratosphere in virtual reality. Hands-on experiments elucidate fundamental concepts of physics here, elegant in their simplicity and clarity of presentation. If you had taken up the second tack, you will be lead to the fortified gunnery that was once scorched with the constant scent of acrid smoke in the air. This would be followed by the riverside terraces that provide you with unobstructed views of forest green and dense woodland from the castle’s perch by the river bank. Winding stairs lead up the narrow passageways to the apex of one of many towers abundant throughout the castle grounds, providing views even better than before albeit restricted by the small cutout hole in the stone wall. An intriguing mix of scientific wonder and historical retrospect, Blackrock Castle offers a rather unexpected castle experience to its visitors.