Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on high ground with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. Medieval ruins of Cahervally Church (LI013-101004-) and graveyard (LI013-101004-) 50m to ENE. Only the grass-covered wall footings (H 0.3m) of a tower house (approx. int. dims. 7.95m N-S x 7.6m E-W; wall T 1m) survives standing on the NE corner of a roughly circular shaped earthwork which served as the bawn (LI013-101003-) of Cahervally castle. Low wall footings of an internal cross-wall possibly for a lobby area is visible 2.5m N of the S wall. It is uncertain whether the circular-shaped earthwork predates the tower house and was originally built as a ringfort or possibly an Anglo-Norman ringwork (LI013-101002-) which was then reused as the bawn of the tower house by the construction of a wall running along the edge of the enclosure. The grass-covered wall footings of this bawn wall running around the edge of the enclosure are visible today. Alternatively the enclosure could be contemporaneous with the construction of the tower house and bawn.
Westropp (1906-7, 89) recorded the following about Cahervally or Rahin/Raheen Castle; 'Marked. 1336 Rathendessy (de Rupefort's Rental). 1583 W ne Boyle, C. of Rahen, and J. O'Kahisse, the site of an "old very ruinous C. called Rahin" (Des. R., 37f, 71). 1586 John Bradagh O'Kahysse held Raphin or Rathyn (Peyton, 214). 1623 Cahervahilly, by W. Roche (Inq/Chan. Car. I.,14). 1655 C. shown (D.S.A., 8). James II. created Dom. Roche, f. Jordan (Mayor of Limerick, 1691), Viscount of Cahiravahalla, and restored him the family estates. From Roche descended Sir Boyle Roche, of oratorical fame. Fabric - Foundations in a fort behind the church'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 26 October 2018

References

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