Cahir Castle stands on an island in the River Suir, on and near an earlier native stone fort, or cathair, which gave the town its name. The article's lead says construction began in 1142 under Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond. The infobox and body text say the core dates to the 13th century. The castle was granted to James Butler, Earl of Ormond, in 1375. The Butlers enlarged and remodeled it between the 15th and 17th centuries.
The Earl of Essex's army captured it after a three-day siege in 1599, and it surrendered to Oliver Cromwell in 1650 without a shot. It fell into ruin in the late 18th century, and the Great Hall was partly rebuilt in 1840.
The Irish state restored it and opened it in 1971. It became a National Monument in 1964.
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