Settlement deserted - medieval

The National Monuments Service's description

Rathcannon Castle (LI039-027001-) and bawn (LI039-027002-) described by the Ordnance Survey in 1840 as follows; ‘In the townland of Rathcannon on a lofty hill in this parish, are the ruins of an extensive Castle. It consists of an outer wall enclosing a great extent of ground with a square tower and dwelling house now much ruined. The dwelling house is on the west side and is now thatched and inhabited by a poor family. The square tower or castle is in the northwest corner, but only its north wall and a fragment of the west and east walls remain. The east side of the outer wall or bawn of this castle is thirty five paces [27m] in length and the north side forty paces [30m]. The four walls form nearly a square, but they are now so ruined that it is difficult to ascertain their original height or whether they had more than one tower’ (O’Flanagan 1929, 111). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that in 1641 Mrs. Ann Casey, a protestant was the owner of the lands in Rathcannon which contained a 'castle [LI039-027002-] a bawne & an orchard' (Simington 1938, 127).
Castle walls partially collapsed in October 2017 as a result of Hurricane Ophelia. Google Earth orthoimages shows the wall footings of a large rectangular shaped area (dims. c. 75m N-S x 28m E-W) to the W of the tower which may be the remains of a walled garden or orchard mentioned in the 1654-56 Civil Survey. Possible cropmark of a hollow way or road visible on Google Earth orthoimages to E with possible traces of settlement or house sites to NE of castle. Field system of uncertain antiquity visible on orthophotos to NW of Rathcannon Castle.

See attached Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Micheál Mac Gearailt

Date of upload: 10 November 2021

See attached ASI aerial photograph ASIAP – 328/8, 10, 11 on 15/10/2002.

References

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.

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

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