Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - unclassified
Ballyvorheen (owneybeg By.), County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballyvorheen (owneybeg By.)
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- SMR number
- LI015-043----
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The precise location of a castle within this townland has not been identified, Westropp incorrectly suggested that the historical reference below may have been to another castle in Co. Limerick. Castle described by Westropp (1906-7, 100) as following; 'Beale Ruffyn C[astle]. in Monasterio Wony (Peyton, p. 253b). As no other mention occurs, this may refer to Ballyvorneene C[astle]. in Clanwilliam [LI023-026----]'. However this is unlikely as the castle in Ballyvorneen (LI023-026---) is not located within the medieval parish of Mainistir Uaithne (Monasterie Wony/ Abington).
The 16th century Desmond Survey recorded that in the territory of Owny Mulryan on the lands of Teige O Mulryan there stood 'the vill castle and land of Beale Ruffhyn in the parish of Monasterie wony in Wony O Molrian, Great County of Lymerick now or late in the occupation of said Teige and containing 3 quarters. Certain woods and underwoods called Kyllbeal Ruffhyn in which there is timber' (Murphy 2013, 347). No castle is depicted within this townland on the Down Survey map of Owenybeg Barony (Hib. Reg.) or on the Down Survey parish map of Mainistir Uaithne (Abington) (NLI, MS 718).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 16 June 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.
Murphy, J. A. 2013 The Desmond Survey, unpublished report. CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland - ucc.ie/celt
Westropp, T.J. 1906-7 The ancient castles of the county of Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26, 54-264.