Walled garden

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated towards the bottom of a gentle S-facing slope some 50m W of Leamaneh Castle (CL016-032002-/CL016-032003-). A rectangular walled area (c. 96m N-S; c. 70m E-W) named ‘Leamaneh Gardens’ on the 1840 OS 6-inch map and ‘Garden’ in Gothic script on the 1916 edition. This garden is depicted on the 1840 edition has having a formal layout. Defined by very thin double-faced stone walls (Wth 0.65m at N). The S wall is almost entirely gone while the other walls survive to c. 1.5m. A turret (ext. dims 5.42m E-W; 5.38m N-S; wall T 0.7m) (also so named in Gothic script on the 1916 OS 6-inch map) projects N at the NW angle and the W and N walls are bonded to it. It had a wide doorway (Wth 1.7m; H 2.2m) at S but this is filled in with a simple narrow doorway. The interior (int. dims. 4m N-S; 3.7m E-W) had a simple barrel vault running N-S and the springing of the arch can be seen inside. It now has a lean-to roof, being highest at W (H 3m). There is a single light in the N wall at ground level. Larger stones at the lower level indicate a two-phase construction. According to O’Brien (1996, 14) Sir Donat O’Brien continued the upkeep of the gardens of Leamaneh, under the care of Robert White the gardener, long after he had moved to Dromoland in the late 17th century. His son Lucius wrote to his wife in 1712 from England with the following instructions… ‘pray order the ground to be well stir’d about all the trees great and small in the orchard, & if any of the wall trees in the pleasure garden have failed, let the best of the same kind that are to be had in the country be got to supplye their places…’. This ‘pleasure garden’ may refer to this walled garden W of the castle.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 7 November 2018

References

O'Brien, G.R. 1996 A garden is a lovesome thing. The Other Clare 20, 14-16.