Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle

The National Monuments Service's description

On a SW-facing slope overlooking Elfeet Bay, in Lough Ree, c. 85m to the W. This castle, which possibly dates to the 14th-century, consists of a rectangular ward (42m NE–SW; c. 40m NW–SE) enclosed by a substantial curtain wall (H 2-3m; wall T 2m) built of rubble limestone, with a pronounced high base-batter (H 1.4m) best visible at the N end of the W wall. Originally there were four square flanking towers at the NE, SE, SW and NW angles.
The N wall is the only complete line of the curtain wall (L 37.5m); its external face is obscured by a line of coniferous trees. Only intermittent stretches of the other walls survive: the S end of the E wall (L 8.8m), the E end of the S wall (L c. 15m) and the N end of the W wall (L c. 9m)The original entrance gateway is not visible but a tarmac roadway that intersects the ward on an E-W axis may follow the line of an earlier access route.
Of the four angle towers the NW example is the best preserved. An undated report (SMR file) indicated that the basal portions of the NE tower survived but due to the dense growth of the trees it was impossible to clarify this. The SE tower (ext. dims. 6.4m NW-SE; 6m NE-SW) was remodelled when it was converted into a tower house (LF021-050001-) in the late medieval period. The SW tower has been levelled and only its wall-footings survive. The NW tower (approx. ext. dims. 12.75m NW-SE; 6.7m NE-SW; H c. 2.5m) is inaccessible. Ground-floor access is not evident suggesting that it was accessed at first-floor level.
Within the interior of the ward numerous buildings have been built against the internal wall faces: against the S wall are a ruined house and outhouse, against the W wall another outhouse, and against the N wall 19th-century outbuildings and sheds. The back walls of the buildings against the S and W walls incorporate the curtain wall. A cattle shed and crush have been built up against the external face of the W wall of the NW angle tower and concrete render has been applied to the external W face of the curtain wall.

Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan

Date of upload: 1 June 2012