Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

The Castle of Cahir Conor known today as Derry Castle stands on a cashel (TN019-034005-) which was constructed on top of a crannóg (TN019-034003-) 70m W of the shoreline of Lough Derg. The castle island is depicted on the 1654-7 Down Survey map of Owny and Arra barony (NLI, Ms 721). Present remains consist of poorly preserved rectangular tower surviving four storeys high which was inaccessible due to a padlocked gate. The walls are constructed of coursed sandstone rubble with dressed quoinstones, the walls have been recently repointed with cement and the battlements rebuilt with limestone rubble. Described in OS Letters (O' Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 31-2) as a small square tower (ext. dims. 7.5m N-S; 6m E-W; wall T 1.5m) four storeys high with a barrel vault over the second floor. The tower was built with sandstone and slate with a destroyed doorway in the N wall and mural stairs in the E wall (ibid.). A small circular bawn wall (TN019-034002-) projected from the NE angle of the tower and returned onto the SE angle (ibid.). This circular bawn wall which projects from the NE angle of the tower appears to have been built on top of the earlier drystone cashel which is constructed with uncoursed cyclopean masonry in contrast with the mortared coursed walls of the bawn and tower house. The bawn, which is only visible at NE and NW angles, appears to follow the line of the earlier cashel (TN019-034005-). The ivy-covered wall-footings of a long rectangular house (ext. dims. c. 7m N-S x 12m E-W; wall T 1.1m) orientated E-W are visible approx. 3m to the W of the tower house. This may be the foundations of the thatched house described in the Civil Survey as a 'little castle wth. a little Bawne aboute it in an Island in ye Shannon, it wants repayre & a thatcht house within the Bawne' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 160). Tadhg O'Brien of Tupgh, Adare, Co. Limerick is listed as proprietor of the castle in AD 1640 (ibid.). This tower house is described as the castle of Cathair Conchubhair in a deed of the lands of Murchartach O'Brien of Ara, Bishop of Killaloe (1570-1613) (Westropp 1911-12, 211).

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/2001).

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: Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 21 February 2020

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. Bray.

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

Westropp, T.J. 1911-12 Types of the ringforts in eastern Clare (Killaloe, it's Royal fort and their history). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 29, 186-212.

NLI, MS 721 – National Library of Ireland , The parish maps of the Down Survey of County Tipperary, attested by Wm. Petty in 1657. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers, 1786-7. Dublin.