What is recorded here

Cloonboo Castle stands as a four-storey rectangular tower on a slight rise in marshy bogland, existing in 1574 under Moyler McShean. Ivy now strangles the breached walls, hiding the murder-hole above the lobby and the spiral stairs that once carried defenders upward. The robbed stones and vanished machicolation suggest a violent stripping rather than natural decay, leaving only the garderobe and fireplace as ghosts of domestic life. A holy well and possible moat circle the ruin, implying the castle guarded more than land; it guarded water, belief and boundary in North Galway.

On a slight rise in low-lying marshy bogland. In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of 'Moyler McShean' (Nolan 1901b, 118). A poorly preserved rectangular four-storey tower (L 12.3m, Wth 10.6m) heavily overgrown with ivy. Almost all the dressed stones have been removed and there is a breach in ENE wall. The robbed-out doorway in NNW wall leads to a small entrance lobby with a murder-hole above. A short intramural stairs to S leads to the spiral staircase. A stone vault exists between ground/1st floor. The garderobe is in ENE wall on 1st floor. Intramural chambers occur in NNW and SSE walls on 2nd floor. A fireplace survives in SSE wall on 1st floor and its flue is visible within a window embrasure overhead on 2nd floor. Projecting corbels on top of NNW wall, over the doorway, indicate the former presence of a machiolation. Some slit and flat-headed rectangular windows survive. There is a holy well (GA069-013002-) c. 40m to SE, while 30m to E is a possible moated site (GA069-013003-). (Nolan 1901a, 44) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

Cloonboo Castle was held by Moyler McShean in 1574 and is remembered as a surviving example of a tower house in a challenging, marshy landscape, reflecting early modern Irish defensive architecture.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.