Abandoned Castles and Fortresses That Look Straight Out of a Fairy Tale

20. Menlo Castle, Ireland – Ivy-Clad Romance

Hidden along the quiet banks of the River Corrib near Galway, Menlo Castle lies in ruins—its stone walls overgrown, its windows vacant yet alive with birdsong and rustling leaves. Built in the 16th century, this once-grand manor was home to the influential Blake family, a noble lineage deeply woven into Galway’s history. But in 1910, tragedy struck: a mysterious fire consumed the estate, and with it, the life of Eleanor Blake, whose ghost locals claim still lingers among the ruins. Left unrepaired, the castle slowly surrendered to nature. Today, thick ivy climbs every surface, trees grow through former drawing rooms, and shafts of light filter through broken ceilings, illuminating mossy stones like cathedral glass. Menlo Castle’s atmosphere is at once peaceful and profoundly melancholic, inviting those who visit to step into a world where history breathes softly beneath the greenery. Whether you're drawn by its romance, its rumored hauntings, or its photogenic serenity, Menlo enchants like a living poem written in stone and shadow.