Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Rathmore Castle described in 1840 as 'a square Castle of remarkable height about seventy feet and measuring thirty feet six inches on the outside from north to south and thirty six feet four inches from east to west. Its walls are six feet nine inches thick and remarkably well built. There seem to have been outworks but they are not now traceable' (O'Flanagan 1929, 116).
Westropp (1906-7, 176-7) recorded the following details about Rathmore Castle; 'Supposed to be the fort (and fair green) of Aenagh beag (Aenagh Cloghair, or Enagh culi) claimed by King of Cashell, 902 ("Book of Rights"). 1148-51 Turlough O'Brien defeated the Norse, and built Monasteranenagh Abbey near it. Lewis says that the C[astle]. was built in 1306 by the Earl of Desmond, but it seems later. 1579 It was held by the Irish and Spaniards, and taken by Malbie after the third battle of Monasteranenagh. The Earl complains that it and the "town" were spoiled, and certain of his evidences and writings taken (C.S.P.L). 1583 "Rathmore, a large C[astle]. in parts ruinous, with a barbican, ruined on the north, and a courtyard, enclosed with a stone wall in great decay. There are in the same C[astle]. divers necessary places, or bedrooms, strongly built for defence," with an iron door. Granted by the Earl, and Elinor, his wife, to Maur. Sheighan for 99 years, at a peppercorn rent (Des. R., 6; Peyton, p. 14). 1600 Surrendered to Carew by the followers of the Sugan Earl (Pacat. Hib.). 1615 Jas. Casey settled it on T. Casey, who, in 1637, bequeathed it to his daughters. They held it and a mill-seat in 1655 (Inq. Chan.,198; C.S., xxxi., p. 15). Sir Drury Wray next owned it. It was forfeited, and was sold 1703 (Trustees' Map, " 21 ").
Fabric - Tradition, in 1840, said that it was built by the Danes, and levelled by Cromwell. A fairly perfect peel tower, 30 feet [9.1m] by 34 feet [10.3m]; the walls, 6 feet 9 inches [2.05m]; features of the late fifteenth-century type (O.S.L., 9, p. 386).'
The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Mrs. Ann Casy, English Proprietor, was the owner in Rathmore which contained a 'Castle, Mill seate & tenn Cabbins upon it' (Simington 1938, 104).
Classified by Donnelly (1999, 22, 37) as a Type 5 tower house which consists of a castle with 'rectangular floor plans each of which is unique to an individual site, though each building had architectural features which placed them firmly within the Irish Gothic tower house tradition'.
Rathmore Castle described by Salter (2004, 93) as follows; 'This tower measuring 10.7m by 8.8m has five storeys with a vault over the fourth level. A thick end wall contains a latrine at ground level, five upper chambers, and a sixth chamber with its inner wall carried on an arch over one end of the topmost principal chamber. In 1580 this Desmond castle was captured by Sir Nicholas Malby, Governor of Connacht, after his nearby victory over Sir John Desmond and the Papal Legate Saunders'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 9 December 2020

References

Donnelly, C.J. 1999 A Typological Study of the Tower Houses of County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 129, 19-39.

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.

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

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1929 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Waterford collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Bray.