Indicated

Located on a high bluff overlooking the twisting gorge of this SE-NE section of the River Bonet, with the stream c. 100m to the S and c. 120m to the W. The fortified house and bawn are at the S end of Dromahair village and c. 60m N of the O’Rourke castle (LE014-009----). The house (LE014-008001-) is towards the NE end of a bawn (int. dims 48m NE-SW; 34.7m NW-SE) but is not attached to the bawn wall (H 2-3m; T c. 1m) at any point. The bawn wall only survives on the NE side and partly on the NW and SE and as a wall footing on the SW side. Three gun-loops in small rectangular embrasures (Wth 0.55m; H 0.6m; D 0.8m) with smaller external openings can be seen on the NE wall and there are seven on the NW but a wall-walk, or steps for one, do not survive at any point. There is a small round-headed doorway (Wth 0.85m) in the NW bawn wall, which might be original, as well as an inserted gateway and doorway. The original gatehouse (LE014-008003-) was at the S end of the NW wall and offset to the W. The house is illustrated by Grose (1791, vol. 2, 55-6, Pl. 32), who shows that the bawn wall was not crenelated. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 1 September, 2016

Built by the O'Rourkes, a Gaelic Irish clan, in the 16th century, Drumahaire Castle was strategically positioned to control local trade routes and defend against English incursions. It is remembered as a symbol of Gaelic resistance in the Bonet Valley during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.