Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

On a prominent hillock affording extensive views in all directions. This castle is depicted on an early 17th-century map of Moydow barony (BL, Cotton MS Augustus I.ii.28). In 1636 the inquisition post mortem into the property of William McBryen Murtagh of Dowclone [Mosstown] lists one ruinous castle in the townland of Ballyknock (Anon. 1826, vol. 1, Inq. 17 Car 1). This tower house (ext. dims. 11.4m NE–SW; 9.3m NW–SE; wall T 2.3m) is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble; it has a massive base-batter. The structure was at least three storeys high and is featureless except for fireplaces in the SE and SW walls at ground-floor level. The doorway was probably in the NE wall, which has collapsed. The tower house is centrally located within a circular bawn (LF018-060002-), which is almost certainly constructed on the site of a pre-existing ringfort (LF018-060003-).

Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan

Date of upload: 1 June 2012

References

Anon. 1826 Inquisitionum in officio rotulorum cancellariae Hiberniae asservatarum, repertorium, vol. I. Dublin. George and John Grierson and Martin Keene, Printers.

British Library, Cotton Manuscripts, Augustus I. Charts of the baronies of Granard, Rathcline, Longford, Ardagh, Shrule and Moydow, County Longford. London. (microfilm, NLI p. 1364)