Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on natural rock outcrop on flat poorly drained pasture with extensive views. In 1591, Moreghe O’Kennedy of Dromnemehan (Drumnamahane), chief of his nation, relinquished his claims to the Earl of Ormond on ‘all his right and interest in the lordship manor, castle etc., of the territory called Aghemcthomas and the parish of Askean, and also in all his lands and hereditaments in the castles, towns and fields of Dromnenrye (Dromineer), Ballyartely (Ballyartella), Dromnemehan (Drumnamahane) and Uskean (Uskane)’ (Curtis 1943, 47).
Described in the Civil Survey (1654-56) as, 'Uppon the s[ai]d lands of Dromenemehane is a demolished Castle and fower cottages wthout any improvem[en]t' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 327-8). In 1640 the Countess of Ormond and Stephen McEgan of Lisleigh who are described as Irish Papists and are listed as proprietors of the lands of Drumnamahane (ibid.).
A tall rectangular tower (ext. dims. 10.4m N-S; 13.2m E-W; wall T 1.9m) surviving four storeys high built with roughly coursed limestone rubble with base-batter. Two angle towers project from the E face of the tower and the main doorway (now destroyed) was in the centre of the recessed E wall. Both the NE and SE angle towers contain small barrel-vaulted chambers accessed from the main chamber at each level. The main doorway gives access to a lobby with mural stairs in the SE angle, running through the thickness of the S wall, and a guardroom in the NE angle. Directly W is the main chamber which has a wooden ceiling and is lit by three double-splayed windows, each one centrally placed in the N, S and W walls. There is an interesting angle wall cupboard in the NW angle. The barrel vaulted first floor is accessed from the SE angle and is lit by a large twin-light flat-headed window in the centre of the E and W walls and by a simple slit ope in the E end of the N wall. The murder-hole over the lobby is located on the floor of the window embrasure on the E wall. Steeply pitched mural stairs with a corbelled roof give access to a lobby in the SW angle protected by a murder-hole accessed from the third floor. From the SW angle the second floor is accessed. A small secret mural passage is accessed from the window embrasure of the N window and runs between the N wall and the barrel vault over the first floor. The destroyed third floor is inaccessible. A possible bawn wall (TN010-018003-) projects out from the SW angle of the tower. There is a possible quarry to the SW of the tower and a natural spring well in a possible enclosure to the E of the tower. The area to the E of the tower was impossible to examine due to dense overgrowth although there is some evidence of possible earthworks that may be the remains of the levelled bawn or possibly levelled buildings inside the bawn (TN010-018003-). An earlier FAS survey carried out in 1985 recorded that the tower house was 'located on an earthen mound surrounded by a ditch outside of which there is a low earthen bank from visible from northwest clockwise through north to northeast' (SMR File 1985). This earthwork or earthen enclosure appears to be the levelled remains of the bawn of the tower house.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien & Jean Farrelly

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 17 December 2015

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1934 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. II: county of Tipperary - Western and Northern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Curtis, E. 1943 (ed.) Calendar of Ormond Deeds 1584-1603 A.D. Vol. 6. Dublin. The Stationery Office.