Creagh Castle (in Ruins)

On S side of glen of Awbeg River. Five-storey rectangular tower (8.5m N-S; 13.1m E-W), in grounds of Creagh House (14874), built c. 20m to S in 1816 (Bence-Jones 1978, 94); shortly afterwards tower 'fitted up as an appendage' to house (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 478-9). Tower no longer occupied, but 19th-century alterations evident throughout. Ground-floor doorway, near S end of E wall, gives entry to tower; door surround with pointed arch may be reset; wooden door part of 19th-century refurbishments. Similar wooden door hangs in second ground-floor doorway near W end of S wall; doorway inserted into an original window embrasure. Lobby inside doorway in E wall is covered by unusually deep murder hole which rises up to 2nd-floor level (top now blocked up). Three doors, all with pointed arches, lead off from lobby: N into L-shaped guard chamber; S to landing at foot of main stairs; and W into main ground-floor chamber (8.15m E-W; 4.05m N-S). Latter lit by three windows, in centre of N and W walls and near W end of S wall (now converted to door); all three have similar embrasures with inner part square-set and covered by segmental vault, whilst front part has smaller splayed and lintelled embrasure behind light; unless otherwise stated windows of main floors above of same type. Mural stairs rise to SW corner, at 2nd-floor level, continuing as spiral to 4th floor. Main 1st-floor chamber entered directly from stairs through lintelled door, now blocked. Chamber is attic under bluntly pointed wicker-centred vault (long axis E-W); room unlit. Main 2nd-floor chamber (7.5m E-W; 4.55m N-S) entered at top of straight stairs through door with semicircular arch; stop chamfer on both jambs decorated with trefoil pattern. Room has 19th-century wooden floor. Lit by three windows, one each in E, N and S wall; E window has single ogee-headed light, other two have lost theirs. East window has deep embrasure with door in each side giving entry to small mural chamber; chamber to N (1.8m E-W; 2.35m N-S) covered by segmental wicker-centred vault; chamber to S (2.55m N-S; 1.85m E-W) has similar vault but plastered over, this room has window set into SE corner with light on angle of tower. Main chamber has large inserted fireplace near W end of N wall with brick-domed bread oven set into W side. Main 3rd-floor chamber (c. 9m E-W; c. 5.5m N-S) is attic under rounded wicker-centred vault (long axis E-W); entered through doorway at SW corner from spiral stairs; lit by central window in E wall and by window in S wall which has splayed and lintelled embrasure and single flat-headed light. Also at this level, entered directly from spiral stairs, is lintelled mural chamber in W wall (1.1m E-W; 4.5m N-S); floored by rotten 19th-century floorboards. Spiral stairs ends abruptly just below 4th-floor level where door on W side gives entry to narrow passage; this in turn gives entry to garderobe chamber (2.2m N-S; 1.2m E-W) in NW corner of tower, and to main 4th-floor chamber (8.4m E-W; 5.1m N-S). Latter lit by window in centre of E wall and E of centre in S wall; E window has double ogee-headed light, S window has similar light but with transom. In centre of W wall is fireplace with plain lintel broken at centre. Room covered by recent wooden roof with corrugated iron covering. Door, near W end of S wall, gives access to landing from which short stairs rise to W, longer stairs rise to E; former gives access to small chamber in W wall of tower, occupied by large water tank, serving nearby house, placed here in 1911 (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 2, 268). Stairs rising to E reach SE corner of tower, giving access to wall walk atop E wall, then continuing as spiral to give access at top to wall walk atop S wall. No crenellations survive along walls but projecting stones atop SE and SW corners may have supported corner bartizans. Rectangular chimney stack projects above W wall. South wall stands higher than other three and contains mural chamber at top, no longer accessible, but window lights which serve it visible on S and W elevations. Originally castle of the Roches, depicted on Down Survey (1655-6) barony map as 'Crogh' (the Irish for Saffron), later passed to Creagh family, hence the modern name (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 2, 262). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Built as a five-storey tower house, Creagh Castle was likely constructed in the late 16th or early 17th century by a local Gaelic family, possibly the O'Donovans, who held lands in the Castlesaffron area. It is remembered as a significant defensive structure in west Cork and is associated with the historical landscape of the Awbeg River glen.