Castlesampson

This is a castle of the Mc Keoghs, descendents of Donnchad Mac Niocal Og (Moore 1974-5; 1987). The castle of Castlesawson had been lost by Melaghlin McKeogh to Irish rebels by 1596 (Cronin 1980, 117) but was sold by his death in 1604 to Thomas Dillon of Curraghboy (Moore 1978, 56). Over 400 acres at Castlesampson was owned by Richard Dillon in 1640, which he retained in the 1660s (Simington 1949, 104). Situated on a rise in an undulating landscape. The base of the walls, except the N, of a rectangular structure (int. dims 13.2m E-W; c. 10m N-S) survive. The S wall partly survives (max. H 5m) with a base-batter and evidence of an E-W barrel vault. The SE angle projects and probably contained a garderobe. The remains of a bawn (RO051-017002-) (dims 18.3m E-W; 11.7m N-S) defined by stone spreads is attached to the S, and some dressed stone (RO051-017003-) is found in nearby field walls. Archaeological testing (06E0775) c. 80m to the W produced no related material (Tierney and Maginness 2006). A full suite of remote sensing surveys conducted in the vicinity produce evidence of a palimpsest of possible cut or stone features, some of which may be agricultural or geological in original but which testify to a potentially complex development history, including a possible enclosing fosse (Gimson and Regan 2014). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 6 February 2017

The castle was held by the McKeogh family, descendants of Donnchad Mac Niocal Og, in the late 16th century. It is remembered for its loss to Irish rebels by 1596, reflecting the turbulent political and military conflicts of the period in Ireland.