Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Site of Castle Drum in the townland of Castledrum (Caisleán na Dromann/castle of the ridge), in the parish of Kilgarrylander, barony of Trughanacmy. In 1586 a royal pardon was granted to 'Donell m’Teig M’Donoghe, of Castledrom' (Fiant No. 4871; Nicholls 1994). Two years later Queen Elizabeth granted to 'Donell O Moriertie and Owen O Moriertie, sons to Donell O Moriertie, of Casteldromy' a lease of land which included 'two several moieties of a rent of £15 1s called strahenmarte, payable out of his lands by their father to the traitor Gerald, late earl of Desmond. Recites that Donell the father held Castelldromy [Castledrum] containing 4 ploughlands, Killemardusak 3 pl., Ballegarveighe and Ballemaldwenick 2pl. and 6 acres in Ambroselands called Enohmambrosick, co. Kerry, of the earl, by the rent and services of' (Fiant No. 5265). In 1601 a royal pardon was issued to 'Donell M’donell of Castledrome, Murtagh M’Donell, his son' (Fiant No. 6494). In 1643 the deposition of Arthur Blenerhasset (TCD MS 828, fols 199r-200v) stated that 'donnell mc Moriertagh of Castle-drum' on the 'second of february in the yeere of our lord God 1641 or therabouts' was one of the 'undernamed persons gentlemen & freehoulders of the said County in a rebellious & hostill maner with collors flyeing came to beseidge the Towne & Castle of Traly [Tralee]'.
Castle site described in 1841 as follows; 'About three quarters of a mile to the east of this church [Kilgarrylander KE046-021----] stood the Castle of Castle Drum said to have been erected by the Moriarty's. Nothing remains of it now but a heap of rubbish overgrown with grass. Tradition says that it was taken by Cromwell and given to one of the Moriarty's' (O'Donovan 1983, 72). According to Coleman (1909, 154) the Moriarty Castle was demolished in the wars of 1641. Smith (1756, 153) recorded that 'the ruins of Castle-Drum built by the Morarities; so called by the Irish, but rather, as others say, by an English family called Murrie, by an heiress of whom the ancestor of all the Fitz-Geralds got their possessions in Kerry. This castle was demolished in the wars of 1641'. The 1641 deposition of Edward Vauclier (TCD MS 828, fols 284r-285v) stated that 'Captain Donnell mc Moriarthe of Castle drum gentleman' had 'possest himselfe of his best house in Treley [Tralee] & certane other tenement belonging to the house'. The 1641 deposition of Stephen Love (TCD MS 828, 125r) stated that 'donogh McCormack his son of the same gentleman donnell mcMortagh alias Mornertagh of Castledrum' took part in the 1641 Siege of Tralee Castle.
Castle site described in 2000 as in pasture on a slight SE facing slope overlooking River Groin running NW-SE to W side of castle site. No surface remains of castle site. According to owner of Keel House c. 1.5km to the SW of the site of Castle Drum, a lot of the stone was taken from the castle and built into the walls, gate posts and house pillars throughout the townland (SMR File).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 26 May 2022

References

O'Donovan, J. 1983 The antiquities of the county of Kerry. Cork. Royal Carbery Books.

Nicholls, K.W. (ed.) 1994 The Irish fiants of the Tudor sovereigns during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Philip & Mary, and Elizabeth I, 4 vols. Dublin. Éamonn de Búrca for Edmund Burke Publisher.

Smith, C. 1756 (Reprint 1969) The ancient and present state of the county of Kerry. Cork. The Mercier Press.

Coleman, J. 1909 The castles and abbeys of the Co. Kerry. Kerry Archaeological Magazine 1 (3), 148-58.