Rahaly Castle (in ruins)

In gently undulating farmland, c. 4km to the SE of Ardrahan. In existence in 1574 when it was in the possession of ‘Richard Burke’ (Nolan 1901, 114). This restored and refurbished tower house consists of a narrow, rectangular, late-medieval, five-storey high tower (L 5.1m; Wth 10m) with an almost contemporaneous rectangular, two-storey extension on its W side. Restoration began c. 1970 when the entire building was re-floored and re-roofed; a number of large modern windows were also inserted at this time. The original doorway, in the E wall, has a horizontal musket slot above it and a murder hole directly inside it. The spiral stairs, in the SE corner, leads to the upper floors, each of which consists of a small rectangular chamber opening off the stairs: that on 4th floor had a stone vault over it. The exit from the garderobe chute is visible at a height of c. 2m above the base of the S wall. Machicolations are evident at parapet level on the E and S walls. The extension (L 10m; Wth 9.9m) has a fine stone vault between the ground and first floors. A concealed chamber in the spandrel of the vault is entered from the E jamb of a window embrasure in the S wall on the 1st floor. This leads to a fine spiral stairs which descends to the long, narrow chamber that runs along the length of the S wall. All the surviving windows are single-light, flat and round-headed slits. Those at 1st-floor level, on the chamfered external corners of the tower and extension, bear finely carved decoration. Parts of the W and N walls of the bawn (GA114-144001-) survive, along with a circular turret its NE angle. An arched gateway (GA114-144002-), c. 40m to the SE of the tower, dates to the 18th century. (Fahey 1893, 248; 1906, 7) Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 22 September 2017

Rahaly Castle was held by Richard Burke in 1574 and is remembered as a restored and refurbished tower house, reflecting the defensive and residential architecture of late medieval Ireland.