Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

A castle belonging to Richard Clifford at Ballinturly had been destroyed by 1596 (Cronin 1980, 117) but it is not marked on the Strafford map of c. 1636 (Simington 1949, Athlone (462)), although the turlough is and Sir Charles Coote held a Quarter of land there amounting to 72 acres (ibid. 126). It is situated at the bottom of a N-facing slope and at the S edge of an E-W turlough. This is a rectangular grass-covered cairn (dims 19m N-S; 14m E-W; H 0.2-1.2m) with the outline of two chambers (dims c. 6m x c. 5m) defined by grass-covered banks (Wth c. 2.5m) with wall-faces occasionally visible. This is located in the NW corner of a subrectagular grass-covered enclosure (RO041-098002-) (dims 63.3m N-S; 45.3m E-W) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 4.5-5.7m; int. H 0.1-0.3m; ext. H 0.6-1.4m), and an outer fosse (Wth of top 5-6m; Wth of base 1.5m; D 0.1m at N to 0.7m at E) N-E-SW which is replaced by a drain (Wth c. 5m) SW-NW. There is an entrance (Wth 6m) at the centre of the S side.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

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

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.