Dunguaire was built by the O'Hynes Clan in 1520. In the 17th century the castle passed to Richard Martyn, Mayor of Galway. Subsequently, it was purchased by Oliver St John Gogarty and became the venue for meetings of the literary revivalists such as WB Yeats, his patron Lady Gregory, George Bernard Shaw, Edward Martin and JM Synge. The Castle was acquired in 1952 by Christobel Lady Ampthill who completed the restoration work started by Oliver St John Gogarty.