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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Castle - hall-house

Cargin, County Galway, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Castle - hall-house, Cargin, County Galway, 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
Cargin
County
Galway
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Castle (in ruins)
Latest-edition OS map
Castle (in Ruins)
Coordinates
53.43535, -9.15505
SMR number
GA055-028----

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 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (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

On a low knoll near E shore of Lough Corrib. In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of 'William Gaynard' (Nolan 1901b, 118). It comprises a rectangular keep (L 11.1m, Wth 6.6m) with a small rectangular tower at E corner. Though probably of 13th-C date (Leask 1951, 156-7; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 304-5), it was extensively restored in 1970. It is now two storeys in height but Nolan (1901a, 29) mentions the existence of a third. The original doorway, at 1st-floor level towards S end of SW wall, is now reached by a modern flight of stone stairs. There is also a pointed arch doorway in NE wall on ground floor. At present the internal layout comprises a vaulted ground floor and a 'great hall' on 1st floor lit by five all windows. At NW end of the latter is an en-suite bedroom, surmounted by a gallery. An intramural staircase in NW wall connects the ground and 1st floors. Apart from the en-suit bedroom, the reconstruction appears to reflect the original layout, though the upper section of the walls, along with the roof and parapets, are modern work. Waterman (1956, 74-6) states that the vaulting is original but the presence of wickerwork centring may suggest otherwise. The tower in E corner is described by Nolan (ibid.) as a later addition. It now consists of three storeys, and possibly functioned originally as a garderobe. Most of the windows appear to have been altered. A church (GA055-027002-) lies 490m to NNE and there is an island cashel (GA055-042----) 450m to SW.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999).

Date of upload: 05 August 2010

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 - hall-house in Galway All County Galway records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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