Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Poorly preserved remains of rectangular tower (9.8m NE-SE; 11.1m NW-SE) on high ground, surrounded by rock outcrop built with roughly coursed limestone rubble. SW corner collapsed. Quoins have been removed. Rough undressed and roughly dressed stonework in rough coursing employed throughout. Contains qeutle base batter. Original entrance on SE now levelled, gave access to lobby, thence to main chamber to NW; small room and guard room to SW and lintelled doorway leading to spiral stairs in E corner. Main ground floor chamber is vaulted and contains fine quality wicker-work. Narrow window in splayed recess beside doorway lights entrance lobby outside. Other walls have deep embrasures with narrow windows. Spiral stairs lit by two narrow windows, lead to 1st-floor chamber. Smaller chambers may have existed overhead lobby. Grass-covered main first floor room contains windows in deep embrasures. Garderobe in NE wall. Low, grass-covered, stone walls run off E and W angles, may be remains of bawn wall (MA121-032003-).

The above description has been derived from D. Lavelle (compiler), An Archaeological Survey of Ballinrobe and District including Lough Mask and Lough Carra. Lough Mask and Lough Carra Tourist Development Association (1994), No. 714.

Date of upload: 22 December 2014