Castle

According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) 'James Butler of Derrilouskan Irish Papist' was proprietor in 1640 and at time there were 'on the sd lands a Castle & two stone houses habitable' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 187). The present Derryluskan House was built c. 1790 and was at least three-storeys over base, however the upper storeys were removed in 1947 leaving the present single-storey over basement house. There is a lot of dressed stone incorporated into the present house, including late medieval stone work with punch-tooling, some with drafted margins and later stone work with reamed surfaces. There is a limestone three-centred doorway (TS070-003003-) c. 30m E of the rear of the house. It is currently standing in field, on a very gentle E facing slope, under pasture. This doorway (H 1.94m; Wth 1.2m) is decorated with a double ovolo moulding of late 16th/early 17th century date which terminates with a horizontal rope moulding. There is no visible trace of a structure associated with this doorway and it likely that the doorway was re-used as a garden feature for Derryluskan house when the late 16th/17th house century fell into ruin or was demolished. The 'Castle' referred to in the Civil Survey may have been a fortified house or may have been an earlier castle incorporated or adjacent to one of the stone houses mentioned above. Though its precise location is unknown the re-use of late medieval stonework in the present house suggests that the castle was on or near the present Derryluskan House. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 11 November 2014

James Butler, an Irish Papist, held the castle in Derryluskan in 1640; it is remembered as part of the landed estate recorded during the turbulent period of 17th-century Irish land ownership and conflict.