Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

On rocky promontory projecting E into Toormore bay, promontory now connected to mainland by concrete bridge. Rectangular tower (11.58m N-S; 8.62m E-W). Ground and first floor door opes, one above the other, near N end of E wall. Single ogee-headed window light in N wall, otherwise surviving lights square-headed; most windows now contain modern frames. Blocked exit for garderobe shute at base of N wall. Tower has been renovated as summer residence (O Mahony 1980, 52); access to interior not gained. O Mahony castle, known as 'Black Castle'. Westropp (1915, 267) considered this promontory as being one of the best suited for a promontory fort in the peninsula. However, no visible surface traces of any defences earlier than the tower house can be seen on it.

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.

Updated by: Olive Alcock

Date of revised upload: 14 May 2015

Images provided by and copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/

References

Westropp, T.J. 1915b Fortified headlands and castles in western County Cork. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 32C, 249-86.