Kilmore Castle

Situated on the shoulder of a SE-facing slope at the S end of a low NW-SE spur overlooking Lough Ree, which is c. 300m to the E. Sir Francis Shaen O'Farrell from Longford received a land grant in the late 16th century and a house was built by Sir Arthur Shane in the 1600s. In 1730, when the O'Farrell male line was extinct, the house was described as having 12 acres of gardens, a malthouse, brewhouse and stabling for forty horses. It was owned by the Earl of Clanrickard in the 1740's but had passed to Robert Esquire by 1749 and probably remained with this family (Byrne 2004). The house was ruined by 1832 (Weld 1832, 565) and admired as a ruin throughout the 19th century (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 30; Anon. 1890-1, 187-8). Buildings survive around a yard, including what are probably stables (ext. dims 27.6m NW-SE; 6.8m NE-SW; max. H on NE c. 8m) on the NE side. The house on the SE side consists of the foundations of a rectangular structure (dims 19m NE-SW; 8m NW-SE) with extensions to the SW and NE. The NE wing is the fragmentary remains of a rectangular structure (int. dims 21.5m NE-SW; 5.6m NW-SE) with a vaulted cellar at its SW end and which re-uses a chamfered stone from a medieval building as a quoin at the N angle. Archaeological testing (03E0495; 04E0693) immediately to the W failed to produce any related material (Carey 2006a; 2007b). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010