Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

A small settlement is marked on the Down Survey (1655-6) Barony map on the E side of the Sullane River and in the vicinity of the present day town of Macroom (Maigh Chromtha). The terrier of the Down Survey Map of Muskerry Barony recorded that, 'The places of note are the towne and castle of Macrumpre [Macroom] being a market towne, one of the places of residence of the Lord Muskry, the castle being a faire and strong pile with a bane [bawn], divers houses a fort and severall offices' (Hib. Reg.). The historic town of Croom is depicted as a cluster of dwellings arranged in a linear fashion to the E of Macroom Castle (CO071-049----) and Church (CO071-050002-) on the 1655-9 Down Survey map of Macroom parish (NLI, Ms. 712-3). The terrier of the Down Survey parish map recorded in 'this Parish is the Castle and Towne of Mackrompe [Macroom] consisting of severall good Towne Houses and large cabins and in the same is a Marckett kept once every weeke' (ibid.). The present Main Street follows the line of the linear settlement depicted on the Down Survey parish map.
According to Zajac et al. (1995, 67) 'a settlement may have existed in Macroom during the 13th century when a castle was built here adjacent to a fording point on the Sullane river. Until the mid-19th century the town was the joint property of the Earl of Bandon and Robert Hedges Eyre. It became the sole property of the latter who was responsible for several improvements in the town including the rebuilding of the present market house and alterations to the castle transforming it into a modern mansion. Among the industries established in Macroom in the 18th century were a distillery and a woollen mill. Rock salt was also brought from England via Cork and distributed from the town for use in salting butter for export. In the 19th century flour mills and tanyards were established.'

See attached Down Survey map of Macroom parish

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009).

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 14 August 2021

References

Zajac, S., Cronin, J. and Kiely, J. 1995 Urban archaeological survey - county Cork (2 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Hibernia Regnum: A set of 214 barony maps of Ireland dating to the period AD 1655-59. The original parish maps have been lost but the Hibernia Regnum maps are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (Goblet 1932, v-x). Photographic facsimiles of these maps were published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton in 1908.