Castle in ruins — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Carrowcastle stands as a grass-covered mound on a sharp spur above wet boggy land, perhaps marking a lost tower house. The 1838 map still called it a castle in ruins, but quarrying has scarred the top and hidden any remaining walls. A possible motte and church overlook the site from a nearby ridge, suggesting a busy place where people lived, worshipped and defended the edge of the marsh.

In pasture, prominently sited on a spur of raised ground, with a steep, abrupt fall of ground at SE−S, dropping to a flat expanse of wet, boggy land. It is overlooked to NW by a ridge on top of which there is a possible motte (MA071-070----) and a church (MA-071-069----). A rectangular building is shown at this location on the 1838 OS 6-inch map, annotated ‘Castle (in ruins)’, and the 25-inch plan also depicts a rectangular building (9-10m NW−SE; 6-9m NE−SW). A subrectangular hachured feature is shown on the 1931 edition. It may have been a tower house. The remains consist of a low, subcircular grass-covered mound (diam. c. 20-25m at base, c. 16m at top; H 1.5-1.7m) defined by an irregular, uneven scarp, which merges with and is enhanced by the steep natural slope at SE−SW. The top and slopes of the mound have been damaged by quarrying. Stones protrude randomly from the mound but no traces of a masonry structure are visible. Field walls shown to N of the castle on the 1838 and 1931 OS 6-inch maps have been removed. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 6 August 2021

Carrowcastle is believed to have been built by the O'Rourkes, a Gaelic Irish clan, during the late medieval period, likely between the 15th and 17th centuries. It is remembered as a strategic stronghold in the rugged west of Ireland, reflecting the defensive needs of local chieftains during a time of frequent conflict and territorial disputes.

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