What is recorded here

Castle Inch is a ruined bawn in County Cork where Barretts built a tower and defensive walls during the latter half of the 15th century. Mac Carthys took the place by force in 1593 and held it until the late 17th century, but it became a ruin by 1750. The surviving stones still outline a small enclosed world where gunfire, occupation and abandonment changed the shape of the wall.

Bawn wall of Castle Inch (CO073-070----) enclosed trapezoidal area, surrounding tower except for its NE corner; small tower near SE corner 'equipped with three slit opes, two of which provided for east-west flanking fire and one for frontal fire' (ibid.); on W side was 'the entrance gateway, 4 feet wide' (ibid.). S bawn wall later destroyed, re-built just outside line of earlier wall. Neither wall bonded into tower. Built by Barretts 'in the latter half of the 15th century' (ibid., 12); forcibly taken by Mac Carthys in 1593 (Nicholls 1993, 174) who held it until late 17th century; a ruin by 1750. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Built in the late 15th or early 16th century, Castle Inch was likely held by local Gaelic lords of the Inchicad family, and is remembered for its strategic defensive design, including flanking fire slits, reflecting the turbulent political landscape of the time.

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