Castle Talbot (in ruins)

According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) a ruined stone house in Balinemony, which is probably Castletalbot townland, and 248 acres in Killila parish were owned in 1641 by Francis Talbot, a Protestant (Simington 1953, 53-4. 78). Apart from Balinemony the land was in Ballynagore and the unknown Knockanmacshorige townlands. ‘Castle Talbot’ is marked in gothic script on the 1839 and 1924 eds. of the OS 6-inch map, but this feature is described by John O’Donovan c. 1840 as a rectangular tower ‘13 feet by 13 feet and about 20 feet’ (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 90). It is still extant but is not likely to be part of the original Talbot house. The tower (ext. dims. 4.68m E-W; 4.12m N-S) has three storeys with the upper floors supported on joists that were set into the N and S walls. The round-headed entrance (Wth 1.18m) through the S wall leads to a rectangular room with large windows (Wth 1.33-1.37m) in the N, E and W walls, and a brick fireplace in the NW angle. Access to the first floor was by an external stairs of granite blocks and through a blocked doorway in the S wall. This floor has three round-headed windows. The second floor was reached by an internal wooden stairs against the S wall and has round-headed windows in the E and W walls. Externally there were simple stepped crenelations at roof level. The tower is probably a folly erected on the grounds of Castle Talbot House, a mid 18th century mansion, c. 250m to the ENE, although it may be on the site of the 17th century house that is otherwise unlocated. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 August, 2012