Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - tower house
Derrymaclaughna, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Derrymaclaughna
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Derrymaclaughna Castle (in ruins)
- Latest-edition OS map
- Derrymaclaughna Castle (in Ruins)
- Coordinates
- 53.38601, -8.83509
- SMR number
- GA070-065001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid 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)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On a low hill in undulating farmland. In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of 'John Burke fitz Tho.' (Nolan 1901b, 119). A rectangular five-storey tower (L c. 11.2m, Wth c. 8.2m) in fair condition. A round arch doorway, now almost totally blocked, in S end of W wall opens into a lobby with the guardroom to S and the spiral stairs to N. Above the ground floor, the floors comprise a main chamber with a subsidiary one to W. Remains of a stone vault survive between 2nd/3rd floors. An intramural passage is evident in S wall on 3rd floor; fireplaces survive in E wall on 1st and 3rd floors and in S wall on 4th floor. A string course is visible at parapet level. Apart from simple slits, windows are rectangular with flat heads, single and two lights with ogee heads and three-light mullioned windows with hood mouldings. A two-storey 'mansion' (ibid. 1901a, 36) with a gabled roof was built against W wall of the tower; no trace of it survives, however, features associated with it are visible on the wall-face. A church (GA070-065002-) lies c. 130m to WSW. (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 288)
In February 2014 K. Bergin noted a carved face on a corbel in the W wall of the tower (pers. comm. S. Aylward).
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). It has been updated in light of recent information.
Revised by: Olive Alcock
Date of upload: 11 April 2014
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Children's burial groundunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.