Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Westropp (1906-7, 91) recorded the following details on Ballybricken Court; 1540 Baile Ibricin, held by Ric., brother of Maoilre Burk of Ballinagard (Rental). 1584 DonnellO'Heine held it at his death; his sons David and Edm, divided the land, but not the C.[astle] (Inq. Chan., Car. L, 96). 1655 Held by Con Clanchy. Shown as a broad tower gabled and battlemented, with a house attached (D.S.A., 22, C.S., xxi., p. 29). Granted to Sir G. Ingoldesbye; his wife was a daughter of James Gould, and his wife, heiress of Sir T. Browne of Hospital, and widow of Alex. Fitton. R. Ingoldesbye of Ballybricken C.[astle] was attainted by the Parliament at Dublin, 1689 (see Act Sett., &c). Fabric - The "Old Court" was 50 feet [15m] high and 16 feet [5m] wide,
the walls 7½ feet [2.3m] thick. It had four stories, the lowest being vaulted (O.S.L., 8, p. 34).
Castle described by Salter (2004, 62) as a tower 'measuring 11.2m by 8.7m there remain two very ruinous lower stories under a vault. Not much remains of the east wall which contained a spiral stairs in the SE corner and mural chambers of the entrance passage'. Castle depicted on the 17th century Down Survey map of Caherelly parish as a multistorey tower house with two storey high gable ended sixteenth/early seventeenth century house built onto side of tower house adjacent to entrance of castle (NLI, MS 718). Doorway of two storey house in lateral wall facing entrance into tower house with lateral chimney stack rising above roof line of house.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 16 January 2019

References

Salter, M. 2004 The castles of North Munster. Worcestershire. Folly Publications.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

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

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.