Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

O'Hurley Castle situated on E edge of Knocklong Hill overlooking St Patrick's and St. Paul's Well's (LI041-004006-/008-) 85m to E, with Knocklong church (LI041-004002-) and graveyard (LI041-004003-) on higher ground 60m to SW. The Desmond Survey of 1584 recorded that 'Garrett mcThomas is free tenant of the castle and vill of Knockeloyney [Knocklong]' (Murphy 2013, 177). In this survey 'Thomas O Hurley of Knocklyney' owed the Earl of Desmond 'yearly coynye and Lyverie due and payable by said Thomas issuing from the vill and lands of Knockloyney in the parish of Bealla Naneashe in Cosseclereogh aforesaid now or late in the tenure or occupation of Ony ne velaghlen and containing 2 quarters. Like amount of Coynye and Lyverie and like incidents as Ballydonanto (ibid.). The Civil Survey of 1654-56 recorded that Sir Moris Hurly of Cnocklong an Irish Papist was in the possession of 'a ruined Castle a Mill (LI041-061----), with two Faires a Courte Leet & Court Baron' (Simington 1938, 233).
This castle (ext. dims. 11.1m N-S x 9.1m E-W; Wall T 2.5-1.5m; int. dims. 6.7m N-S x 5.45m E-W) is a multi-period structure with at least two building phases visible in the masonry. The N end of the castle appears to be earlier than the S half which may explain the difference in wall thickness and in the appearance of the masonry. The N wall is the thickest wall measuring 2.5m thick and has a prominent base batter with roughly coursed masonry which is different in appearance from the masonry on the other three walls. Internally there are traces of the springing of a stone vault in the NE angle which is not visible elsewhere. The original castle appears to have had a stone vaulted roof over the ground floor was as entered through a doorway located off centre to N in the E wall. The remains of a drawbar slot are visible on the S side of this broken out doorway located adjacent to the NE angle in the E wall (T 1.8m). The remains of a late medieval twin light ogee-headed window with decorated spandrels are visible high up in the centre of the W wall (T. 1.5m) at second floor level. The lower courses of the W wall have been robbed put along with most of the quoins on the SE and SW angles. The remains of a garderobe chute are visible in the NW angle of the castle which was accessed from the first floor.
During the 17th century the stone vaulted ground floor was replaced with wooden floors and the S wall (T 1.9m) of the castle was heightened with the addition of a chimney stack and a two storey house was added onto the E wall adjacent to the SE angle of the castle. The crease-line of the slated roof of this building is visible at S end of the E wall. Internally there are several wall-cupboards visible with large broken out windows visible in the centre of the S wall at ground and first floor levels. The S gable is surmounted by a squat chimney stack that was added onto the castle in the 17th century. On the external face of the S gable just below the chimney stack is the sill-stone of a late medieval twin light window. Traces of internal render or plaster is visible in the SE angle of the castle at first floor level.
Castle described in 1840 as following; 'A short distance to the north east of the Church (LI041-004002-) there is a Castle or rather strong built mansion house measuring twenty one feet [6.4m] from north to south in length and eighteen feet [5.5m] in breadth on the inside. It was three stories high and its south wall is six and a half feet [1.9m] thick and about thirty feet [9m] high. There were two apartments in the thickness of the north wall near the top lighted by two quadrangular windows. This building was lighted by several large windows, but they are much disfigured. There are two large quadrangular ones on the south wall, one on the west and I think two on the east, but these last are only breaches in the wall at present' (OSL Knocklong Parish).
Westropp (1906-7, 195) recorded the following details about O'Hurley's Castle; 'The C[astle]. is of very late date, 1570-74. Pardons to T[homas]. Hurley, of Knocklongie (Fi. 1765, 2472). 1583 The C[astle]. held by Garret mac Thomas in Ballyneashe (Atheneasy) parish, in Cossherleroo (Des. R., 38b ; Peyton, 237b). 1606-1635 Maur[ice], son of T[homas]. Hurley, held it (Inq. Chan., 1b, 146). 1655 The ruined C[astle], mills, two fairs, courts leet and baron, & c., Sir M[aurice]. Hurley (C.S., xxv., p. 9; B.D., p. 29 ; D.S.A., 55). 1669 Confirmed to Cornet E. Cooper, of Markree (Act Sett.).
Fabric. - Though attributed to the fourteenth century, it is two centuries later. It is 21 feet [6.4m] north and south, 18 feet [5.5m] and 30 feet [9m] high ; the walls, 6 feet [1.8m] thick, with three stories, two large defaced windows in each of the south and east walls. There were four gables; one still has a plain chimney. The under vault has collapsed; and the stairs and cut-stones are removed'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 18 June 2019

See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – 343/14 and 16 on 05/01/2003.

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.

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.

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