Behy Castle (in Ruins)

On the E side of a low rise skirted to the W by a stream. The remains consist of the NW corner (5.6m E-W; 2.6m N-S) of a tower now standing to two storeys, and a large block of masonry lying on the ground immediately to its SE. These are located towards the E end of a rectangular sod-covered platform (c. 30m N-S; c. 25m E-W) which may be the remains of a bawn. Immediately E of the platform are two 19th-century farm buildings which contain carved stones derived from the tower including a sheela-na-gig (SL034-001002-) and a pick-dressed quoin. The tower is built of roughly coursed limestone in a lime mortar; the walls are gently battered, but most of the quoins are missing. The ground floor had a window in its W wall but only its N side survives which contains part of a splayed gun loop. In the corner, at first-floor level, is a mural chamber the inside wall of which is gone. At this level was a large window embrasure in the N wall but only its W side survives. On the external face, 3m above present ground level, is a horizontal slit (0.8m x 0.25m) which may be an exit for a garderobe chute. A drawing by Grose (1791, vol. 1, 52) shows the tower much as it is today but with the fallen block then standing. Grose described it as 'a square tower' and noted that the castle had been used as a quarry during the building of a nearby house (see above). Traditionally known as a MacDonagh castle (Grose 1797, vol. 1, 52; McParlan 1802, 92; O'Rorke [1889], vol. 2, 236). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008