Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Ruins of Castle Mahon tower house located 20m to SSW of 18th century Castle Mahon house and 75m N of the River Deel. Mahoonagh (Maigh Thamhnach / reat Plain) Church ruins (LI036-172001-) and graveyard (LI036-172002-) lies 125m to ENE. The remains of a circular-shaped tower or building is depicted immediately to the SW on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map. Castle Mahon house described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a; 'Detached three-bay two-storey farmhouse, built c. 1780, having later porch with canopy to front (north-west). Single-storey lean-to addition to side (north-east). Two-bay two-storey return to southern end of rear (south-east). Now derelict' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; NIAH Reg. No. 21836004).
Castle ruins described in 1840 as measuring, ‘thirty five feet [10.6m] by twenty four and a half feet [7.5m] inside; the walls are only about thirty five feet [10.6m] high at present and six and a half feet [2m] in thickness. This was a strong Castle, but it appears to have had no arched floors in it. Its windows are all broken and disfigured, with the exception of one on the west end, which is pointed and formed of cut lime stone’ (OSL Mahoonagh Parish; O'Flanagan 1929, 18-19). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded in 1640 Colonel Francis Courtnay was the owner of Mahownagh which contained 'a Castle on it in good reparation, and a Mill seate [LI036-219----]' (Simington 1938, 259). Castle and circular tower described by Lewis (1837) as, 'the ruins of a massive square tower, about 30 feet high, exist near Castlemahon and give name to that village. Near it is a curious circular building, with a high conical roof of stone, it was a strong fortress, erected about 1490 by the Fitzgeralds'.
Westropp (1906-7, 234-5) recorded the following details about Castle Mahon or Mahoonagh Castle; 'The ancient Cluainclaidmech, 1201, held by the Church of Limerick (B.B.L, p. 14). It appears, 1237. as Maytaueny in a suit of W. Lacy. 1278 W. de Prendergast and Geff de Mariscis exchanged Fernan, a theodum, for another called Maccaueni in O'Connill (C.S.P.). Held by Tho., Gilbert, and Ric. de Clare (1280-1318). It derives its name from the Fir Tawnagh Tribe, whence Tawnagh, not Magh Gamhnach nor Medhonach. 1418 Moytawenagh (Taxat. Proc). 1580 Phil macGibbon "Oor" held Mahawnagh (Inq. Exch., 11,16). Mohonagh, in Tawnagh (Peyton, 36, 50, 51). The Bishop still took dues on its parsonage and street (Ib., p. 204). 1587 Mohannogh C[astle], late estate of McGibbon to Sir H. Ughtred (Carew). 1606 Sir H. Ughtred held the manor, C[astle], and lands of Maghawnaghe (Inq. Exch., 15). 1611 Mahownagh C[astle]. and lands, with a sufficient dwelling, leased to J. Aylmer (Inq. Chan., 6b). 1641 Mr. Escott held the C[astle].; he was expelled, and some of the English hanged at Mayne (Dep. 161). 1655 Held by Courtenay; C[astle]. in good reparacon and mill seat (C.S., 11-12).
Fabric - The tower is 35 feet [10.6m] by 24½ feet [7.5m], inside; the walls, 6½ feet [2m] thick and about 35 feet [10.6m] high it has no remains of vaults. There are pointed windows of cut limestone (O.S.L., 8, p. 48).'
Medieval tower house described by Salter (2002475) as; 'This tower measuring 13.4m by 10.3m is obscured by ivy externally and very defaced and cluttered with derelict sheds internally. A stair in the NE corner linked three unvaulted levels each with fireplaces in the west wall. There were subsidiary rooms over the destroyed entrance facing east. The estate belonged to the bishops of Limerick but the castle most likely dates from the period after the Reformation'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 21 April 2021

See attached ASI aerial photograph ASIAP – 325/15 on 05/10/2002.

References

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).

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 Limerick collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Bray

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

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.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.