Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

On the W shore of Lough Glinn. Traditionally regarded as a castle of the FitzGeralds of Mayo (Grosse, 1791, vol. 2, 53-4; Weld 1832, 300-1; Lewis 1837, 2, 599), an extensive estate centred on Loughglinn was accumulated by Theobald Dillon, a descendent of the Sir James Dillon of Proudstown, Co. Meath, and connected with the Dillon families of Westmeath. In 1582 he entered government service in Connaught and used his position to accumulate land. Theobald died in 1624 when his second son, Sir Lucas Dillon, inherited the Loughglinn estate and held extensive lands by c. 1635 (Mac Dermot 1996, 397-8) when the castle, which may have been built by the Dillons, was owned by him (Simington 1949, 158).

Described as a castle with a tower at each angle, only two were left in the 18th century, and only one survives to-day. The W part of an ivy-covered three-storey circular tower (int. diam. 3m; H c. 10m; T 1m) with three gun-loops at the ground floor and simple rectangular windows on the upper floors which are rectangular in plan internally. Stones from the castle, including an inscribed plaque (RO020-007003-), are said to have been used to build Loughglinn House, c. 1km to the E.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Weld, I. 1832 Statistical survey of the county Roscommon. Dublin, Royal Dublin Society

Grose, F. 1791 The antiquities of Ireland, 2 vols. London. S. Hooper.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1949 Books of survey and distribution. County of Roscommon. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Mac Dermot, D. 1996 Mac Dermot of Moylurg: the story of a Connacht family. Manorhamilton. Drumlin.