What is recorded here
Ballinaboy House occupies the exact site where an English force sheltered behind old castle walls during a 1600 attack. The square, two-storey dwelling still stands on its woodland terrace above the Owenboy River, preserving the shape of that sudden danger. Whatever the original castle looked like, the house keeps its address in time and space.
On an E-W terrace surrounded by woodland to the S of Ballinhassig and the Owenboy River. According to Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 105), an English force, under attack at Ballinaboy in 1600, took refuge 'behind the walls of an old castle'. According to local information (SMR file), the site of this castle is now occupied by Ballinaboy House. This is a square, two-storey, four-bay, hip-roofed dwelling of early 19th-century appearance. Otherwise, nothing appears to be known of this castle (Healy 1988, 221-2).
The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009).
Date of upload: 22 December 2009
Built by an English force for defensive purposes, Ballinaboy House is remembered for its role in a 1600 attack when soldiers took refuge behind its walls, as recorded by Lewis in 1837. Its location and historical mention highlight its strategic significance during early 17th-century conflicts in the region.
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
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