What is recorded here

Castle, unclassified stood above the Nore valley flood plain in Connahy, belonging to Ormonde until about 1700 and later occupied by a respectable Purcell branch. The Down Survey still called it a castle in repair, yet quarrying and later farmyard work removed most of what it showed. What remains is a absent shape at the foot of eastern slopes, remembered through rock, tillage and the valley view it once commanded.

At the foot of slopes rising up to the E hills of the Nore river valley, well above the flood plain, in tillage. Adjacent to much quarried rock outcrop. There are good views N-S along, and W across, the valley. On the Down Survey (1655-6) parish map of Conohy, ‘a Castle in repayre’ is depicted in Connahy townland. The terrier accompanying this map records, ‘a Castle in repaire and some Cabbins [KK010-092992-] at Conohye’. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 194), 'The castle in Conahy Rocks, though "in repayre" at the time of the Down Survey, has now all but entirely disappeared. It belonged to the Ormonde family till about 1700. During the latter part of the 17th century and most of the 18th, it was occupied by a very respectable branch of the Purcell family'. The castle, though no longer visible at ground level, was located at the W end of a farmyard. The area of the castle was redeveloped in the 1950s. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 9 January 2019

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