Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The precise location of Ballygibbo Castle in the townland of Ballygubba South [Baile Ghioba Theas] has not been identified. Westropp (1906-7, 173) recorded the following details about Ballygubba South; '1569 Garrett mac Thomas, of Balligibin, gave evidence as to John Desmond, and Doneskeagh C[astle]. (Carew i., p. 389). Pardon to same, 1572 (Fi. 2158). 1588 It and Cloghtacka C[astle]. granted to R. and Alex. Phitton, under name of "Phitton's Fortune" (Fi. 5175; Inq. Chan., 6b). 1608 Edm. mac Gibbon, the White Knight, died, seised of Ballygibbon C[astle]. (Inq. Chan., 17b). 1657 Held by N. de Lacy, alias Fitzgibbon, and sold to C. Ormsby (D.S. A., 42, 43 ; C.S., xxiv., p. 2 ; B.D., p. 67)'. The castle of 'Balligibboe' is depicted as a tower house like structure on Sir William Petty's map of County Limerick. The 1654-56 Down Survey map of Coshma Barony shows 'Ballygibbo Castle' standing on the summit of a hill with roadway leading to nearby glebeland (Hib. Reg.). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Nell Lacie alias Fitzgerald an Irish papist was the owner of the townland of Ballygibbow on which there 'stands a stumpe of a castle' (Simington 1938, 121).

Dunlop (1924, 133-4) recorded the following details about the Seignory of Ballygibbon alias Fitton's Fortune; 'containing 3,026 acres, granted to Richard and Alexander Fitton, Esqs., was aliened and sold by the original patentees unto Thomas Butler and Walter Bourk, gent., except one plow-land assigned unto one James Rushell, and was afterwards by the said Thomas Butler and Walter Bourk conveyed to Edmond Fitz gerald, commonly called the White Knight, and to Maurice Fiz gerald. The White Knight's portion descended to Sir William Fenton, in right of his wife's grandchild, and the other part is enjoyed by Gibbon Fitz Morris, son to the other purchaser. Sir William Fenton's portion he hath lately alienated and sold to William Haly of Limerick, alderman. There is no house for the principal Undertaker built upon this Seignory nor above one for tenants'.

See attached map showing castle of Balligibboe and Down Survey barony map (Hib. Reg.)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 11 May 2021

References

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.

Dunlop, R. 1924 An unpublished survey of the Plantation of Munster in 1622. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 128-46.

Hibernia Regnum: A set of 214 barony maps of Ireland dating to the period AD 1655-59. The original parish maps have been lost but the Hibernia Regnum maps are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (Goblet 1932, v-x). Photographic facsimiles of these maps were published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton in 1908.