What is recorded here

Moycullen Castle vanished beneath pasture and lodge walls, yet one carved limestone window head still breathes in a Clare tower house. The castle belonged to Rory Oflairte in 1574, stood near a medieval church, and left behind a heavy orchard wall that may have marked its bawn. What is gone is not nothing; it is distributed, remembered in stone, wall, story and the shape of the land.

In an area of undulating pasture to the W of Lough Corrib and c. 300m to the E of a medieval parish church (GA068-042----). In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of 'Rory Oflairte' (Nolan 1901, 115). The site is now occupied by Moycullen Lodge (Killanin 1947, 122). No visible surface trace of the castle survives. However, a carved limestone head of a single-light cusped ogee-headed window that is reputedly from it is now on display in a restored tower house (CL025-095002-) in Dysert (Inchiquin By.), county Clare – see CL025-095010-. A notice with the fragment states that it was the last remaining stone from the ‘castle of Moycullen (O’Dea)’ and that it was found ‘built into the chimney’ of an old house in Moycullen. To the E of the lodge an orchard defined on its N and E sides by a wide and high wall (L 35m, Wth 1.6m, H 5m) is possibly the bawn wall associated with the former castle. (Hardiman 1846, 55) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 05 August 2014

Rory Oflairte held the castle in 1574; its location near a medieval parish church suggests it may have been a regional stronghold in west Connacht.

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