What is recorded here

Castlelohort Demesne in County Cork, Ireland, held a rare double defence when a square bastioned fort encircled the circular water moat of Lohort tower house. The arrangement appeared in a drawing made around 1750, and it may have been built around 1641 after Sir Philip Percival took the castle during rebellion. The outer works vanished before the demesne took its unusual octagonal shape, but the inner moat survived until drainage in 1876. Its collapsed edge still marks a chamber where water, stone and memory became entangled.

In level terrain, within Castlelohort demesne. Former bastioned fort surrounded Lohort tower house (CO024-126001-). Drawing of c. 1750 (Smith ibid.) shows tower surrounded first by circular water-filled moat (CO024-126002-), then outside that by bastioned fortification (four bastions are shown indicating a square enclosure with a bastion at each corner), with a water-filled moat surrounding it. This fortification not listed by Gowen (1979) or Kerrigan (1980); probably constructed c. 1641 when Egmont placed a garrison here (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 4, 44); no visible trace of bastion now evident. Though castle was 'reduced...by a battery of cannon' in 1650 (ibid., 45), no apparent evidence of damage on tower. In 1831 Windele described site as having 'a moat of about 8 feet broad and some depth, filled with water, access over a wooden bridge' (ibid., 46); 1842 OS 6-inch map shows water-filled circular moat but not bastioned fortification. Latter probably infilled when unusual octagonal demesne, with its central rectangular enclosures (1842 OS 6-inch map), laid out probably in conjunction with mid-18th-century renovation of the castle. Circular moat drained in 1876 (ibid., 45), wooden bridge replaced by one of stone; moat still evident (diam. c. 40m; Wth c. 4m; D c. 2m) though edges much collapsed and sod-covered. Castle of the Mac Donogh Mac Carthy sept (Ó Murchadha 1985, 63); passed into possession of Sir Philip Percival (Egmont) 'in default' when Mac Carthy went into rebellion in 1641 (Grove White ibid., 44). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.