Castle

According to the Civil Survey of 1654-56, the lands of Meenhogahane (Mín Ó gCatháin) were in 1640 in the possession of Thomas Mc Edmond Peirs (Pierse), an Irish Papist on which lands there: 'is on ye premises an old broken house with two chimneys, two cabins, & an old butt of a castle, not valuable: king's rent due yearly out of the premises £3.3.9.' (Simington 1938, 501). It is marked on the OS 25-inch map as 'Lime Kiln (Disused) ', and is locally reputed to have been used as a kennel for hounds. The remains were examined several years ago by John Pierse. He found that it was roughly rectangular in plan, c 13m x 2m, and had a square tower at its S end. The tower measured 2.6m x 4.5m and rose to a height of 4.5m. The tower contained the remains of about ten steps, which were 0.3m - 0.8m long, 0.2m wide and c 0.1m in depth. These step remains have since been filled in. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 1001. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 26 May 2022

Thomas Mc Edmond Peirs, an Irish Papist, held the lands of Meenogahane in 1640, which included an old broken castle. The site is remembered through the 17th-century Civil Survey, reflecting landownership patterns and religious affiliations during the Confederate Wars period in Ireland.