Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

References to Castlemore, the principal castle of the Costellos date from 1336 to 1595, and it may be the castle of Lugha razed by O'Conor in 1270 (Lynn 1986, 98-100). In 1580 it was acquired by Theobald Dillon from Mac Costello (Cronin 1980, 114), and in 1635 it was the property of Lord viscount Dillon of Castlereagh and Gallen (O'Sullivan, W. 1958, 4-5). Situated on a low knoll with a small N-S stream immediately to the W, which joins a NW-SE stream c. 100m to the S.
This is a grass-covered masonry structure (ext. dims c. 16m E-W; c. 11m N-S; H 3.2m at N) with an external base batter at N but it is largely obscured by grass-covered cairn material. It stands inside the perimeter at the NW angle of the rectangular bawn (RO008-032002-) (dims 45m E-W; c. 30m N-S) defined by a wall (T 0.9m; ext. H 1.4m) at N, but the S part of the enclosure has been damaged by quarrying and contained at least one hut-site (RO008-021003-) (int. diam. 2.5m) defined by a grass-covered stone spread (Wth 1.7-2.8m; H 0.5-0.9m) with two other possible hut-sites (RO008-032004-; RO008-032005-). Test excavations (97E0268; 98E0325; 03E0430; 06E0121) in the vicinity failed to produce archaeological material (Walsh 1998; Morahan 2000; Read 2006c; Henry 2009b). There is a church (RO008-033001-) c. 100m to the E on the other side of a NE-SW road.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/1979).

References

Cronin, T. 1980 The Elizabethan colony in Co. Roscommon. In Murtagh, H. Irish midland studies: essays in commemoration of N.W. English, 107-20. Old Athlone Society.

Lynn, C.J. 1986 Some 13th-century castle sites in the west of Ireland: note on a preliminary reconnaissance. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 40, 90-113.

Morahan, L. 2000 Glebe in I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1998: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 178. Bray. Wordwell.

Henry, M. 2009b Knockanaconny: no archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 461, No. 1738. Dublin. Wordwell.

Read, C. 2006o Kilmurray: no archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2003: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 424, No. 1582. Bray. Wordwell.

Walsh, G. 1998 Glebe. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1997: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 151, No. 454. Bray. Wordwell.

O'Sullivan, W. 1958 The Strafford Inquisition of County Mayo. Dublin: Stationery Office for the Irish Manuscripts Commission.