
What is recorded here
Indicated, Ballyportry South is a narrow 17th-century bawn in County Clare, Ireland, built around Ballyportry Castle with stone walls still standing two and a half metres high. Fourteen keyhole gun-loops pierce the walls, and circular corner bastions at the east and west ends suggest a small fortress designed for fire, not display. The east bastion has been turned into a glass-roofed conservatory, blending domestic warmth with military origin. On a slight rise in rough pasture, it remains visible on old maps and alive in its changed use.
On a slight rise in level rough pasture. Indicated on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Listed at ‘Earthwork’ in the RMP (1996). Enclosing Ballyportry Castle (CL017-084002-). Described by Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997) as a narrow 17th-century bawn (20m NE-SW; 12m NW-SE) defined by stone walls (extant H c. 2.5m) containing fourteen keyhole gun-loops in embrasures (including an angle loop in the S corner), spaced roughly evenly along the walls. The original gate was on the NE side but a modern gate has been inserted in the SE side. There are circular corner bastions (diam. c. 4m) on the W and E corners, each having four small, narrow loop embrasures. The E bastion has been turned into a conservatory with a glass roof. Immediately to the S of the bawn is an enclosure (CL017-084003-) which may have been associated with the tower house and bawn.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott
Date of upload: 14-10-2025
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- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
Ballyportry Castlecastle/fortified house · 2 yd
Enclosure in KellsEnclosure · 1118 yd
Rock IslandIsland · 1.7 mi
Inchiquin IslandIslet · 1.8 mi
Inchiquin Castle (in ruins)Castle, tower house · 1.9 mi
Burren National ParkVisitor information · 2.7 mi
Fergus River CaveCave · 3.2 miOther information
Photo: Brian Nelson · CC BY-SA 2.0