Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

On the gentle N-facing slope of Seefin Hill. In existence in 1574, when it was in the possession of 'Richard McVllig' (Nolan 1901, 113), this rectangular tower house (11.25m E-W; 9.3m N-S) is one of a small group of tower houses in Co. Galway that display two-phases of construction. In the initial construction phase, a tower block housing the doorway, spiral stairs and the subsidiary chambers was built and, subsequently, a second block housing the main chambers was added. On inspection in March 1983, the first-phase block was still standing fairly intact but the additional block was in a much-collapsed state. The initial block consisted of a five-storey high tower (9.3m N-S; 4.15m E-W) built of coursed limestone blocks with dressed quoinstones and a base-batter, sections of the latter had been robbed out in several places. The original doorway, centrally placed in the E wall, was robbed out. It would have accessed a lobby from which further doorways lead to the guardroom in the NE corner, the spiral stairs in the SE corner, and, most likely, a doorway in the W wall that would have accessed the main ground-floor chamber of the later block. It was evident that there was a vault over the latter chamber and there were also vaults over the guardroom and between 2nd/3rd-floor subsidiary chambers. Windows in the initial block comprised simple slits, rectangular- and ogee-headed single lights and an angle loop at the NE angle on the 2nd floor. The masonry of 4th floor differed from that below suggesting that it was added when the second block was being built. No trace of the parapets or roof survived. Door opes, which would have accessed the second block, were visible off the stairwell at the S end of the W wall. All that survived of the second phase were collapsed walls indicating a rectangular building (9.3m N-S; c. 7.1m E-W). Opposing corbels on the W and E walls at 2nd-floor level would have carried the joists that supported the wooden floor. On re-inspection in December 2009, following a report that part the tower had collapsed, it was found that the entire S wall, including the spiral staircase, and the returns of the E and W walls had fallen down. The resulting rubble extended out to about 10m from the line of the S wall, while some masonry was found 20m out from it. Numerous cut and dressed stones were visible embedded in and scattered throughout the rubble. (ASGAP 112:13)

The following images have been uploaded:
GA104-265----_04.jpg View from SE
GA104-265----_05.jpg View from SSW
GA104-265----_12.jpg View from N
GA104-265----_13.jpg View from W

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 18 July 2023

References

Nolan, J.P. 1901a Galway castles and owners in 1574. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 1, 109-23.

ASGAP - Archaeological Survey Galway Aerial Photograph.