
What is recorded here
Ballyroe is a castle and mill, recorded in 1656 on a raised platform beside a diverted stream. Thomas Shortall held the place in 1640, and the castle, church, and mill stood together at the southern tip of the townland. The platform still rises above the field, its wet ditch and berm marking the footprint of a working estate.
The Down Survey (1655-6) parish of ‘Freshford and parte of Coolerahin’ depicts, 'a Castle and Cabbins [KK013-096004-]' and accompanying terrier (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin) notes that there is 'at Balliroe=Shortall a Castle [KK013-096001-] & a Church [KK013-096002-] and Cabbin with a Mill [KK013-096003-]', with the proprietor in 1640 listed as Thomas Shortall Irish Papist. The buildings are indicated within a triangular area at the very S point of Ballyroe townland and this corresponds well to the triangular southern tip of the townland that survives to this day. At this location there is a rectangular platform (dims. 25m N-S; 21m E-W; H 1m) with a berm (Wth 7m) along the E and S sides and a waterlogged fosse (Wth 3m; D 0.5m) along the W and N sides, the N fosse being fed by a diverted stream. A road runs N-S immediately E of the enclosure and a stream, indicated as a ford on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map where it meets the road, runs E-W along the S side. It is likely that the buildings depicted on the Down Survey map are located in this field, with one at least, possibly the castle or mill, being located on this platform. A lime kiln is depicted on the 1900 revision and 25-inch OS map roughly centrally placed in the field and there is extensive outcrop and small quarry holes in the field which no doubt relate to that.
See attached images:
KK013-096001-_01 Extract from the Down Survey (1655-6) parish map of 'Freshford and parte of Coolerahin’ (Hib. Reg., courtesy of Trinity College Dublin).
KK013-096001-_02 View of platform from NE (from road), Google Earth street view, viewed 31 March 2020.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 31 March 2020
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
Places near here
Bawn in SartBawn · 720 yd
Ballyroe (Maher) RingfortArchaeological place · 1014 yd
Enclosure in Ballyroe (maher)Enclosure · 1080 yd
Church in ruinsChurch · 1.1 mi
CastleCastle, ringwork · 1.1 mi
The CopseWood · 1.2 mi
Uppercourt Housegates/railings/walls · 1.5 mi
Freshford LoopWalking route · 1.6 miOther information
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