Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The precise location of a castle in the townland of Knockanea has not been identified. Westropp (1906-7, 95) recorded the following details about Knockanea Castle; '1583 W. Bourke, Knockeneff C[astle]. (Des. R. 37). 1607. Lord Castleconnell was granted C[astle]. of Knockanneagh (Pat. R.). 1655 Knockneneagh held by Lord Brittas, a large tower with a side wing shown (D.S.A., 14, 18, exp.; C.S., xxi., p. 10). See infra under "Brittas." 1663 John Freind to Lord Brittas, saving rights decreed (Act Sett.)'. Tower-house like castle depicted on the 17th century Down Survey map of Clanwilliam Barony (Hib. Reg.). The castle is shown standing on top of a hill on the parish map of Caherconlish (NLI MS. 718). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that the Lord of Brittas an Irish Papist was the owner in Knockanea of 'a Castle' (Simington 1938, 64).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 3 December 2020

References

NLI, MS 718 - National Library of Ireland, Parish maps with terriers, showing forfeited lands in County Limerick, commonly known as the "Down Survey", executed under the direction of Sir William Petty, 1657, and copied by Daniel O'Brien, 1786.

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.

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.

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