Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slight rise in low-lying marshy bogland. In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of 'Moyler McShean' (Nolan 1901b, 118). A poorly preserved rectangular four-storey tower (L 12.3m, Wth 10.6m) heavily overgrown with ivy. Almost all the dressed stones have been removed and there is a breach in ENE wall. The robbed-out doorway in NNW wall leads to a small entrance lobby with a murder-hole above. A short intramural stairs to S leads to the spiral staircase. A stone vault exists between ground/1st floor. The garderobe is in ENE wall on 1st floor. Intramural chambers occur in NNW and SSE walls on 2nd floor. A fireplace survives in SSE wall on 1st floor and its flue is visible within a window embrasure overhead on 2nd floor. Projecting corbels on top of NNW wall, over the doorway, indicate the former presence of a machiolation. Some slit and flat-headed rectangular windows survive. There is a holy well (GA069-013002-) c. 40m to SE, while 30m to E is a possible moated site (GA069-013003-). (Nolan 1901a, 44)

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