Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

The castle of Moyvannan had been lost by Feogh O'Kelly to Irish rebels by 1596 (Cronin 1980, 117), and there is a graveslab of William Kelly of Moyvenen in Kiltoom graveyard (RO045-199002-), c. 1km to the N. Situated on a slight NE-facing slope overlooking Lough Ree. Rectangular structure (ext. dims. 8m N-S; 7m E-W) of four storeys with a base-batter and good quoins which was renovated in the 1980s as a dwelling. One quoin has an inscribed date of 1501. The original entrance, now replaced, is on the S side and a spiral stairs with some ogee-headed lights is at the SE angle. Two original double-light rectangular windows and three original rectangular lights are in the W wall. A chapel, now renovated as a dwelling, was added to N of the tower in the 18th century (Nash 1949, 10) when a pointed doorway was inserted into the E wall and other pointed windows were inserted into the tower. The present parapet was probably added at this time.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

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.

Nash, W.J. 1949 Lough Ree and around it. Athlone. Privately published.

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