What is recorded here

Kilcolman Castle stood as a rectangular tower house for the Earl of Desmond before Edmund Spenser lost it to fire in 1598. Its ruined walls still guard a sloping view over Kilcolman bog, preserving a main chamber with stone seats and a separate garderobe tower. The structure survived centuries of neglect and later renovation, keeping its spiral stairs and vaulted rooms intact enough to suggest the daily lives of the people who once climbed them.

On sloping ground, overlooking Kilcolman bog to S. Rectangular tower (8m E-W; 7.8m N-S) with added garderobe tower (3m E-W; 1m N-S) projecting from E end of S wall (see plan Cotter 1994, 91-6). Most of structure now stands only to 2nd-floor level, but S wall and SE corner survive to 3rd-floor. Extensively renovated in 1850s (Newman Johnson 1990, 420). External facing stones of W wall robbed out, exposing rubble core of wall and outline of internal vault. Entrance via rebuilt ground-floor doorway in E wall, leading into short passage which gives access straight through to ground-floor chamber. Doorway in S wall of passage gives access to spiral stairs leading to 2nd-floor chamber. Ground-floor chamber (5.8m E-W; 3.8m N-S) lit by rebuilt ope with straight ingoings in N wall; light missing. Inserted doorway in S wall with straight ingoing on E side, splayed on W; spud-stone for door at ground level on E side. First floor is attic chamber covered by vault (long axis E-W), lit by lintelled slit window in S wall; access probably through wooden floor. At 2nd-floor level pointed-arch door leads from stairs to main chamber (c. 7m E-W; c. 5.2m N-S), which has concrete floor. Only S wall survives, with wide segmental-arched window embrasure with stone seats, and single cusped ogee-headed light. In SE corner of chamber pointed-arch door leads into small lobby from which spiral stairs rise to upper levels, and doorway leads S to garderobe chamber. Latter lit by lintelled slit window in S and W walls. At 3rd-floor level is garderobe chamber (2m E-W; 1.8m N-S), entered from stairs via collapsed doorway; lit by lintelled slit windows in E and S walls; slab over garderobe chute is upturned window sill. Traces of bawn wall survive, enclosing area c. 50m N-S, 35m E-W (see plan, Cotter 1994, 93); stretch of wall (L c. 30m; H c. 1.5m; T c. 1m) begins 4m S of SE corner of tower-house, and extends E for c. 30m; corner tower (3m x 3m) at E end with traces of garderobe chute on E side; from corner tower low grass-covered ridge extends N for c. 50m, to outline of possible second rectangular corner tower. Recent excavations by Dr. Eric Klingelhofer uncovered remains of latter tower; evidence of structure attached to SE corner of tower house, identified by excavator as Elizabethan 'parlour'; rectangular structure to E along S bawn wall identified as medieval hall (Klingelhofer 1996, 7-8; 1997, 13-14). Castle of the Earl of Desmond, who acquired Kilcolman from Barrys in 1430 (Nicholls 1993, 190); granted to Edmund Spenser in 1590 (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 3, 264); Spenser ousted and castle burned in 1598 (ibid., 267). Described in 1750 as being 'now almost level with the ground' (Smith 1750, vol. 1, 333). 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

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