You could buy a 600-year-old Irish castle for the price of a house deposit

A crumbling medieval castle in Ireland is on the market for a bargain price. 

Mountcashel Castle is an imposing square tower that was built in the 15th century for the King of Thomond. 

Once, it would have been a grand residence and stronghold where the king would have defended his territory from enemies. 

But today the castle has fallen on hard times.

The structure has been abandoned for several decades, leaving the building exposed to the elements. 

The last restoration attempt was back in the 1960s. 

Mountcashel Castle sits on a rocky outcrop in County Clare, a half-hour drive south of the city of Limerick. 

Its thick stone walls and slender arrow-slit windows are a powerful reminder of the building’s military history. 

The castle is on the market for €95,000 ($168,000). 

To put that into perspective, the median price for a house in an Australian capital city is $1.23 million, according to Domain’s latest House Price Report. 

Based on the standard 20 per cent deposit, $247,355 is required to buy the median house in Australia. 

Yet, with this deposit savings, you could buy Mountcashel Castle outright and have a cool $80,000 in change. 

But those keen to buy the castle will be signing up for a major building project. 

“Extensive refurbishment is required,” the listing warns. 

“Good site space to afford a purchaser an opportunity to extend and develop this unique facility.” 

If you prefer to stay in Australia, there are several castles you can check out – albeit of more recent origin. 

A quirky fortress with gargoyles and coats of armour is for sale in south-west Sydney. 

The owner had asked her husband to buy the castle as a symbol of his love and he did.