Garryvoe Castle (in Ruins)

In gentle rolling pasture, remains of very small square tower (4.2m N-S; 4.2m E-W), partially ivy-clad. SE corner has fallen but otherwise tower stands to just above 1st floor level. Ground floor covered by segmental, wicker-centred vault (axis N-S), intact except where it abutted S wall; pointed vault over 1st floor (axis E-W), broken at SE corner. Ground floor entered by lintelled door at S end of E wall; lintel now cracked and most of S side of door fallen. First floor entered by lintelled door in S corner of W wall, but only N side of door now survives. First floor lit by central lintelled windows in N and W walls, with narrow flat-headed lights. In Hartnett's time (1950, 51-2) SE corner stood to 2nd floor level, as did other walls. He records a stairwell in SE corner of which nothing now survives. At ground level, on external NE corner, is a poorly preserved projection; Hartnett saw this as 'probably a buttress'. Directly above this projection, at 1st/2nd floor level, are a series of projecting stones; similarly on E face, at the same level, are further projecting stones,though set back from the corner- exact function unclear. According to Hartnett (ibid., 52) 'castle was probably erected by the Carews' who held this land 'all through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries'; Coleman (1913, 32) notes that 'nothing seems to be known' of its history. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009