The state of preservation of Desmond Castle is something that continues to astound me. While it is true that the place came under the care of the Irish state and I seem to remember talks of a never-ending restoration in the 1990's, it must not have been in too run-down a condition to be able to have it as it looks now. To get in there to look around, it is better to pick the summer months for a visit when it is open to the public and guided tours are available without charge. That is when I wandered in myself in 2014 and captured the above scene. To make an equivalent photo from the square of Newcastle West needs a different arrival time so you get the sun in the right part of the sky so being able to see things from other angles allows for more opportunities.