Coolfin Castle (in ruins)

This tower house is located on a natural stony rise that appears to have been steepened to the E. It may be 'Colyne' castle mentioned in the 1574 list of Galway castles, then in the possession of 'Ricor McRedmund' (Nolan 1906, 111). It is very poorly preserved and only the W wall (L 7.6m; wall T 1.5m) and the returns of the N (L 2m) and S (L 1.3m) walls survive to a height of three storeys. The walls are constructed of regularly coursed dressed limestone blocks and mortar and a base-batter is evident. All the quoinstones have been removed from the SW and NW corners to about the 1st-floor level. A breach in the W wall at ground-floor level marks the site of a window, the embrasure of which still survives. A wall-cupboard is visible in the S wall. A corbel slot in the N wall suggests that the 1st floor was wooden. Externally a possible garderobe exit chute is visible towards the base of the N wall. It is unusually large. An intact single-light ogee-headed window with cusped spandrels, almost centrally placed in the W wall at 1st-floor level, is the best preserved architectural feature. Another wall-cupboard is visible to its S. The base and W side of a window at this level in the S wall suggest that it was similar to that in the W wall. On the 2nd floor the base and lower end of another single-light window are visible near the N end of the W wall. According to local information, the E and S walls were demolished when the adjacent roadway to the E was being in built in 1902 and the resulting material was used for road metal. The N wall was subsequently demolished because it was in danger of falling. (Hoctor 2017, 15-16) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 29 October 2020

Coolfin Castle was likely built by the McRedmond family, who held it in the late 16th century. It is remembered for its possible identification with 'Colyne' castle listed in 1574, reflecting the historical presence of Gaelic lordships in the region.