Kilconnell Castle (in ruins)

In an ungrazed area abutting a farmyard to the S and within the S side of a bawn (TS061-100003-). A tower house, at least four-stories high, composed of limestone rubble roughly coursed with cut and dressed quoins. The S wall has a double wall construction (inner T 0.6m; outer T 0.35m). Only the SW angle survives with a short return of the S wall (L 4.5m; T 0.95m) and the W wall (L c. 3.5m; T 1.1m) to parapet level. However, in the 19th century the tower house appears to have been intact as the OS letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 79-80 (214)) describe the castle as 'a square structure in good preservation and measures on the outside thirty six feet [11m] from east to west and thirty two feet [9.7m] from north to south. Its walls are built of limestone and well grouted; they are six feet six inches [2m] thick and not less than seventy feet [21m] in height. This castle had six floors, the second of which rested on a strong arch; the others were of wood. The windows are some rectangular and some pointed'. According to White (1892, 14), 'the upper storey of the castle is furnished with large windows'. There are the remains of a vault over the first floor springing from the S wall. Above this vault, at second-floor level, there is another spring arch but this appears to be an arcade or arched embrasure, possibly containing a window, the arch giving additional support to the wall above. At third-floor level there are the remains of a window embrasure in the W wall, one chamfered jamb of which survives. As this was the main floor of the tower house it is likely to have had a high ceiling, though the space between the second floor and the coping stone for the roof could have accommodated another floor and there are two mural chambers in the S wall at third and fourth-floor level. The coping stones are visible on the W face of the S wall and within the roof-space there is a doorway, only the W jamb and part of the sill and lintel survive, which gives access to a mural chamber in the S wall, of which little remains. There is a spiral stairs in the SW angle as there is a N-facing doorway in the W wall between the second and third floor-level which probably provided access to the second floor and another doorway at parapet level, giving access to the parapet. The stair also gives access to three mural chambers in the S wall, at third-floor, fourth-floor and parapet level. The stairs was lit by a narrow loop in the S wall between the second and third floor-level and a similar loop in the W wall at third-floor level. There is a circular bartizan with shot-holes on the angle supported by double corbels, with a single corbel at the angle. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2014

Built by the Blake family in the 15th century, Kilconnell Castle is remembered as a significant example of a tower house in the region and is associated with the historical presence of the Blake dynasty in County Galway.