Earthwork

The National Monuments Service's description

Mac Crehin's Castle: Apart from its enclosing earthwork there are no visible remains of this castle, which was located on the lower S slopes of Bentee mountain. It is associated with the MacCrohan branch of the O'Sullivan Mores (Smith 1756, 107), and is referred to as 'Letirmiccrohan' in RIA MS 24 K 43. Occupied by one Cnogher MacCroghon in 1656 (King 1931, 223), it was confiscated and granted to Alexander Eagers in 1667 (King 1909, 169). No trace of the castle survived in 1841 (OSL), and Delap recorded that it had been demolished to build adjoining farm houses (1910b, 227)

The surviving remains at the site of the castle consist of a low rectangular platform, 30m N-S x 32m E-W internally, which is defined by a bank and an external fosse at N, E and W. The bank is poorly preserved and survives best at N where it is .5m high and 2.25m in width. Here the fosse, which is U-shaped in profile, averages 7m in width and 1.35m in depth. At E and W the bank and fosse are less well-defined. A low causeway, 5.5m wide, interrupts the fosse midway along its slightly curving E side and may indicate the location of the original entrance to the earthwork. A deeply channelled stream skirts this feature at E, and may have been bridged at this point. Slight traces of a channel which may have served to direct water from the stream into the fosse are visible extending from the latter's midpoint at N.

The interior of the site is uneven and is raised slightly above external ground level. A slight hollow of subrectangular shape, 18m N-S x 16m E-W, occurs in the NW quadrant and is enclosed by a low bank, 3m in average width. In the SE quadrant is a large, sod-covered, subrectangular mound, 13.3m E-W x 12.7m N-S, which may represent the location of the castle. Raised 1.4m above internal ground level, its flat upper surface measures 8m E-W x 7.2m N-S.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1114. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 31 July 2013