Carrigdownane Castle (in Ruins)

On cliff-edge promontory overlooking Funshion River. Polygonal area (c. 30m E-W; c. 20m N-S) enclosed by limestone rubble wall, much ruined and ivy-clad, built along cliff edge on N and E sides. Interior largely filled with overgrown dumps of rubble; traces of structures, possibly towers, at NW angle and on S side. Southern structure consists of SW wall (L c. 9m; max. H c. 4m; T 1.8m) with external base batter, with return of SE wall (L c. 4.4m); facing stones entirely missing from S corner, SE wall and internal face of walls; SW wall pierced by splayed gun loop; stretch of SW enclosure wall (H 1m; T 0.9m) with external base batter continues line of SW wall of structure for c. 7m to NW, continuing on same line but rebuilt for further 3m (max. H 2m; T 0.65m); wall on W side of enclosure then continues to NE (L c. 13m) to NW structure. Structure at NW angle consists of short return (L c. 1m) of W wall (junction with W side of enclosure obscured by ivy), N wall with base batter built on cliff edge c. 2m below level of site, and short return of E wall (L c. 4m). Survives only to interior ground level for much of its length, but W end stands to c. 3m above ground level. Near W end, c. 1m below interior ground level, garderobe chute exits over cliff; above interior ground level near W end, traces of two opes, possibly gun loops, survive. At S end of return of E wall, low remains of enclosure walls continue along cliff edge along remainder of N, E and SE sides; short broken return links up with SE wall of S structure. Milo fitzPhilip de la Roche pardoned in 1317 for 'the burning of the Condon manor of Carrickdownane' (MacCotter and Nicholls 1996, 238); Carrigdownane subsequently acquired by Roches during 14th century (Nicholls 1993, 186). Down Survey (1655-6) barony map shows castle and a mill immediately to SE. 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

A local castle; wider significance not recorded.