Castle (in ruins)

Westropp (1906-7, 218-9) recorded the following details about Amogan More Castle; '1583 John Crone Sarsfield or Morris mac Edm. Sarsell or Sarsfield, in rebellion, held Amogon and the C[astle]. of Lackarewny Knockan (Fi. 4694; Inq. Exch., Jas. L, 6), or Omagan C[astle]. and Omaganmoore (Des. R. 22; Peyton, 72). 1588 Grant to Billingsley of estate of Edm. macMorys (Fi. 5171). 1606 Ric. Hunt, of Ballymecre, held Knockans, a parcel of Amogan (Equity Exch., Order L, May, 1606). 1611 A portion of the C[astle]. of Omoggane was reserved for Emory Lee (Inq. Chan., 6). 1613 F. Drew fixed its mears (Inq. Chan., 10b). 1655 Awangon, late estate of B. Hunt, granted to Ol[iver]. Lambert and Brook Bridges (B.D., p. 21 C.S., p. 50). 1668 Avongan or Amogan confirmed to Lambert (Act Sett.). 1719 W. Blunt, of Amogan, died (will, Limerick). Fabric - A tower 27 feet [8.2m] by 21 feet [6.4m], walls 5 feet to 7 feet [1.5-2.1m] thick. It is 36 feet [11m] high, with a spiral stairs to north-east. Tradition says that James II. slept a night there (O.S.L., 9, p. 438)'. House-like castle depicted on the 17th century Down Survey map of Connello Barony (Hib. Reg.). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Richard Hunte late of Amagon, was the owner of 'a Castle and a smale bawn [LI029-043001-], and wth. great tacth houses on it' (Simington 1938, 292). Amogan More Castle described by Salter (2004, 60) as follows; 'There are two storeys under a vault in this tower measuring 8.4m by 6.6m, and two upper levels reached by a stair from the north facing entrance. Probably built by the Sarsfields, it was granted in 1588 to the Billingsleys'. Castle classified by Donnelly (1999, 25, 37) as a Type 1D tower house where 'entrance to the building is located in one of the tower house's long walls near a corner. The entrance lobby is set within the thickness of the long wall. There is no subsidiary chamber but on one side of the lobby is the doorway leading to a wall-stair that rises up through the thick ness of the long wall to provide access to the first and/or second floor level in the building'. See attached plan taken from Donnelly 1999. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 8 December 2020

John Morris Mac Edm. Sarsfield, later known as John Sarsfield, held Amogan More Castle during the 1583 rebellion. The castle is remembered as part of the context of early Irish resistance and the career of Sarsfield, who later became a prominent military leader.