Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the E bank of the River Shannon with Killaloe Bridge (TN025-010----) immediately to the S. Described in the Civil Survey of 1654-6 as the ruins of a castle and barbican (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 163). Donogh O'Bryen is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). Described by Westropp (1911-12, 203) as one of two peel towers of fifteenth-century date constructed at either end of the bridge between Killaloe and Ballina. According to the OS Letters the castle of Ballina was located on a low rock forty feet from the bridge of Killaloe to the North (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 13). In 1840 the OS Letters described the castle as following; 'only the east side and ten feet [3m] of the south wall and seven feet [2.1m] of the north wall attached to the east one remain to the height of about twenty four feet [7.3m]. It was a square castle measuring thirty three feet six inches [10.2m] by twenty three feet [7m] on the outside and the walls are well grouted and seven feet [2.1m] in thickness. Two of its windows only remain, one on the east and another on the south wall, both rectangular and constructed of chiseled sand stone of a brown color. The stair case was a spiral one and placed in the south east corner' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 13). The castle was associated with the Mac Ibrien Ara (ibid., 13). No visible remains; modern housing now occupies this area.
In 2001 archaeological testing by Brian Hodkinson at the rear of the Old Dispensary in Ballina Village revealed no archaeological features (Bennett 2003, 377). Testing carried out under licence No. 01E0222.

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 upload/revision: 26 April 2016

References

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.

Bennett, I. (ed.) 2003 Excavations 2001: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland. Bray. Wordwell.

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.) 1931 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol I: county of Tipperary: eastern and southern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.