Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a small knoll on the NW face of a ridge, with good views in all directions, especially over Lough Ree to the W and N. Lough Ree lies 840m to N with Creggan Lough 560m to SW. Bethlehem nunnery (WM015-002----) lies 1.8km to the N. Area of rock outcrop with evidence of quarrying in field immediately to SSW. According to the Ordnance Survey Letters Ballynacliffy Castle belonged to the Dillon's (RIA 14/G/13/3(19)). According to other sources the the castle was first built in 1401 by Geróid Dalton, son of Lucas Dalton and that the townland name was derived from Baile na Cloiche meaning the town of the stone house (Cox 1971-2, 43; Hogan 1910, 86). In 1641 the lands of Ballynacliffy were in the ownership of the Earl of Kildare (NLI MS 723-4).
All that survives are the grass-covered foundations (H 0.5m) of a square-shaped building (internal. dims. 9m N-S; 9m E-W) which probably represents the remains of a tower house standing on low natural rock outcrop. An extensive complex of earthworks (WM015-005001-) surround the castle which may represent the remains of a bawn and possible settlement. These earthworks show up clearly on Digital Globe aerial photographs and on aerial photographs taken in 20/07/1970 (CUCAP BDU069-070).
This castle was known in the 17th century as Ballineclossy Castle and was used as a garrison for English forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. The castle was described by Sir Henry Piers in 1682 as following; In 1642 'two foot companies of English forces, were commanded to quarter at Ballineclossy, a strong castle and dwelling house of a gentleman of antient family and good estate, situated in the promontory before mentioned these were commanded by a gentleman of a very noble extraction, captain Bertie or Bartie, brother to the lord chamberlain of England, the earl of Lindsey, who was general for the king at the battle of Edgehill' (Vallancey 1786, 82). According to Pies after the English burnt Bethlehem Nunnery (WM015-002---) they returned to 'their quarters at Ballineclossy aforesaid, which had been deserted by the inhabitants on their appearance, but left well stored with excellent strong beer and aquavitae, and all sorts of provisions for food' (ibid). Piers recorded that the castle was 'seated in the mentioned promontory, which jets out into the lake or Shannon, nearer to the main land then Bethlem, and hath over against it on the other side of the Inny, which here falls into Lough-Ree in the Shannon, a placed called Portenure' (ibid.).

Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 4 September 2018

References

Hogan, E. 1910 Onomasticon Goedelicum. Dublin.

Cox, L. 1971-2 Athlone in The Civil War 1641-1652. The Irish Sword 10, 38-55.

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.

Vallancey, C. (ed.) 1786 Collectanea de rebus hibernicis, Volume 1. Dublin. Luke White.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com