Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The precise location of Ballyvollane Castle within the townland has not been identified. Castle described by Westropp (1906-7, 85) as following; 'In Mountshannon demesne. 1540 The sliocht Edmond mac William Burke held Béal atha an mhuillin (Rental). 1586 C[astle]. Ballenvollin, by W. Bourke (Des. R. 37); 1623, by T. Arthur (Inq. Chan. 17a), 1627 The daughters of Pierce Creagh held in fee the C[astle]. of Biallaghmvolin (Ib.). 1655 Ballyweylan C[astle], in Stradbally, Orchard, &c, by W. Lord Castleconnell (C.S. xxix. 3) Clehduph or Ballyvillan, Stradbally (D.S.A. 3). Ballywillin Clondenyagh, with C[astle]. (D.S.A. 1)'. The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Mahon mcKeogh of Cloneclieffe [Cluain Cliabh] held in Cluain Cliabh and Ballyvollane an 'one plowland having on it a castle an orchard, and a Mill seate' (Simington 1938, 462).
The 17th century Down Survey barony map of South Liberties (Hib. Reg.) shows the castle standing on the N bank of the Mulkear River which forms the parish boundary with Kilmurry. On this map the castle is shown standing in the present townland of Rivers or Cluain Cliabh.

See attached Down Survey map of South Liberties barony showing Ballyvollane Castle

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 14 January 2020

References

Westropp, T.J. 1906-7 The ancient castles of the county of Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26, 54-264.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1938 The civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. IV: county of Limerick, with a section of Clanmaurice barony Co. Kerry. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Hibernia Regnum: A set of 214 barony maps of Ireland dating to the period AD 1655-59. The original parish maps have been lost but the Hibernia Regnum maps are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (Goblet 1932, v-x). Photographic facsimiles of these maps were published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton in 1908.