Country house

The National Monuments Service's description

A complex of buildings stretching south-east of and attached to the tower house (CO ).
(see: https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/20805026/blackwater-castle-castlewidenham-county-cork). The core of the house is 17th/18th century but was extensively remodelled c. 1825, however this appears to incorporate walling dating from the medieval period. There are also modern additions and refurbishments making the entire complex a multi-period ensemble.

A painting of 1790 (Laffan 2006, 41) shows the house before the 19th century rebuilding. This shows a group of four gable-ended buildings standing inside the curtain wall of the castle, the largest one attached to the tower house; the scar of this building is still evident on the south-east face of the tower and on the side of the main entrance block. This shows that the present main block of the house is narrower than the house shown in the painting. The northwest wall (thickness 1.7m) and part of its southwest wall (thickness 1.4m) of the 19th century main block probably incorporate the core of that early building. The north-west corner of the projecting entrance block has a graceful base batter to an exceptionally thick (1.7m) wall of later medieval appearance, indicating that the current tower house was probably part of a complex of buildings of that period.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of revision: 23 December 2019

References

Laffan, W. 2006 Painting Ireland: Topographical Views from Glin Castle, Churchill House Press, Tralee