Castle

On E side of a small sea inlet and c. 190m SE of the remains of Cashel House (GA091-009001-). In existence in 1549 when 'Walter Fada Bourke was murthered [there] by … Donnel Fitz-Rory Og Flaherty' (Hardiman 1846, 62-3). When inspected in February 1984, all that survived of the castle were the foundations of parts of its W and S walls (<9m by <7.30m), which were lapped by the sea at high tide. The remains of a cabin within these foundations, a causeway crossing the inlet, and a substantial fosse on W side of the latter were probably later features (SMR file). On a revisit in January 2018, following winter storms, the castle was as described in the earlier report but the causeway was not as clearly defined due to the presence of storm material consisting of boulders. Likewise, the fosse was not evident as this area was covered with seaweed. This may be the castle called 'Ballemicro' in the list of Galway castles compiled in 1574: it was then in the possession of 'Thomas Blake' (Nolan 1901, 115). (O'Flanagan 1927a, Vol. 3, 148-9, 151; Killanin 1947, 131) 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. Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 31 July 2018 The following images have been uploaded: GA091-017----_02.jpg Detail of S wall from S GA091-017----_03.jpg S wall from S GA091-017----_05.jpg S end of W wall from S GA091-017----_06.jpg W wall from W

Built by the Flaherty family of Connemara, in existence by 1549; remembered as the site of the murder of Walter Fada Bourke by Donnel Fitz-Rory Og Flaherty, reflecting the turbulent clan conflicts of 16th-century Gaelic Ireland.