Leap Castle is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 castle

Castle

A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...

 in County Offaly

County Offaly

County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...

, about four miles north of the town of Roscrea

Roscrea

Roscrea is a small heritage town in North Tipperary, Ireland. The town has a population of 4,910. Its main industries include meat processing and pharmaceuticals. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ikerrin...

 on the R421

R421 road

The R421 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs southwest-northeast from the N62 in Roscrea to the N52 just south of Tullamore.The route is long.-See also:*Roads in Ireland*National primary road*National secondary road-References:...

. It was built in the late 15th century by the O'Bannon family and was originally called "Léim Uí Bhanáin," or "Leap of the O'Bannons." The O'Bannons were the "secondary chieftains" of the territory, and were subject to the ruling O'Carroll

O'Carroll

O' Carroll is an Irish family name, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Cearbhail.-O' Carroll name and territorial extent:Notable is the history of the Clan Ó Cearbhail whose territory, known as Ely O' Carroll in Éile, consisted of the pasture lands of Ballycrinass, Rosscullenagh and Drumcan, extending to...

 clan.

The Annals of the Four Masters

Annals of the Four Masters

The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

 record that the Earl of Kildare, Gerald FitzGerald, tried unsuccessfully to seize the castle in 1513

1513 in Ireland

-Births:*Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare, aka Silken Thomas, hanged, drawn and quartered, with his five uncles, at Tyburn .-Deaths:*End of the rule of Garret More, the Great Earl of Kildare ....

.