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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Castle - tower house

Rossbrin, County Cork, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Castle - tower house, Rossbrin, County Cork, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Rossbrin
County
Cork
Country
Ireland
Latest-edition OS map
Rossbrin Castle (in Ruins) (1902)
Coordinates
51.52657, -9.47304
SMR number
CO140-045----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1841 map "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1841 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1866 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1868 · 4. Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1882 · Ireland (southern half). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Rectangular tower-house (10.9m E-W; 8.3m N-S) on rock outcrop in elevated position on W side Rossbrin Bay. Structure has suffered a number of collapses in modern times (1905, 1963 and 1975) (Anon. 1975, 10; Healy1988, 211). NE corner stand to four storeys. Ground floor doorway in E wall partially blocked by rubble; probable 1st floor door in this wall. Pointed vault (axis E-W) over 2nd floor (attic) missing SE quadrant; also damaged at junction with W wall.
Mural stairs rise in E wall from N in going of 1st floor doorway to NE corner of 3rd floor. Only short returns adjoining E and N walls survive at 3rd and 4th floor levels. East wall recessed internally under wide segmental arched head (see CO140-032---). Section through broken face of E wall shows series of mural chambers at upper levels.
Castle of the O'Mahony clan reputedly built in 1310 (O'Mahony 1909, 123); surviving remains of 15th/16th century date.
Attacked and taken in 1562 and again in 1571 (Healy 1988, 211).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Castle - tower house in Cork All County Cork records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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