Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated 80m W of the W shore of Lough Derravaragh with boat quay 50m to SW. Bog 240m to SW. Castle depicted standing in the townland of 'Clunaby' close to Lough 'Durzath' [Derravaragh] on the 1654-9 Down Survey map of Moygoish barony (NLI, MS 723-4). The castle in 1641 belonged to Andrew Nugent who was described in the Down Survey as an 'Irish Papist' and owner of 162 acres of arable land in 'Clunany'(ibid.). The terrier of the Down Survey map of Street parish stated that in this parish there stood '3 Runious Castles at Street 2 Castles likewise at Clonaby' (ibid.). Annotated as ‘Castle’ on the 1837 ed. OS Fair Plan map, and depicted as ‘Castle’ on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Present remains consist of a rectangular building (ext. dims. 13.2m N-S; 10m E-W) with base-batter evident. A portion of the N wall (H 3m) survives, as do portions of the S & E walls (H 1.5m), while the W wall is visible only as a grass-covered mound. Evidence of a garderobe at the N end of the W wall. Fragmentary remains of an inner wall inside the N wall indicates the presence of a mural stair. The castle is surrounded by low banks of uncertain date.

Compiled by: Frank Coyne & Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 30 January 2017

References

NLI, MS 723-4 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey for the County of Westmeath, attested by W. Petty, in 1659. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.