Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

It was probably built by the Kellys in the 16th century. Myles Cavanagh had a lease on it in 1623 (Cronin 1980, 115), but it was owned by Justice James Donnellan in 1641 along with 162 acres at Cloghankeeny also known as Carrowncaslane (Simington 1949, 111). The Donnellans were connected with the Clanrickard Burkes (Beirne 1997c) and was president of the high court that tried many of the leaders of the 1641 rebellion in 1652 (Ellis 1975, 54-5).
Situated on a very slight W-facing slope in a low-lying landscape. Rectangular structure (ext. dims 11.8m NW-SE; 9.2m NE-SW) surviving partly to three floors with good quoins and a base batter. A destroyed doorway towards the S end of the SE wall leads to a destroyed lobby with a vaulted guardroom (int. dims 2.6m NE-SW; 1.8m NW-SE; H 2.15m) to the N containing a light and a double gun-loop of dressed stone. The lobby leads through a destroyed doorway (Wth 1.2m; H 2.2m) to the ground floor which has a window embrasure on the SW wall, an embrasure with a gun-loop on the NW wall and a destroyed wall on the NE side. S of the entrance lobby a destroyed spiral stairs with lights and gun-loops gives access to at least two upper floors. There is no evidence of a barrel vault, but a quoinstone at the S angle has a sheela-na-gig (RO044-055002-) at the second floor level.

See the attached general view from the S (001) and of the double gun-loop (002)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 3 December 2018

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.

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

Beirne, Rev. F. 1997c Cloghan castle – towerhouse. In Rev. F. Beirne (ed.), A history of the parish of Tisrara, 21-2. Boyle. Tisrara Heritage Society.

Ellis, Peter Beresford 1975 Hell or Connaught: the Cromwellian Colonisation of Ireland 1652-1660. Hamish Hamilton, London