What is recorded here

Drominagh Castle stands as a ruined limestone bawn on the northern shore of Lough Derg, where Redmond Burke once raided Clanrickard in 1598. The tall rectangular tower still marks the eastern boundary, while mysterious tunnels beneath the western lawn may have stored food through constant cold. What remains is a skeleton of ambition, stripped of roofs and doors yet holding the shape of every violent and domestic act that built it.

Located on the low-lying northern shore of a small bay on Lough Derg's E shore. In the Annals of the Four Masters it is recorded that Drominagh was taken in 1598 by Redmond Burke to use as a base for raiding Clanrickard (Cairns 1987, 22; AFM, vol. 6, 2079). Described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as an 'old ruined castle and bawne, the walls onely standing a decayed orchard & twenty cottages' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 311). Donnogh Kenedy of Lackeene is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). The poorly preserved remains of a tall rectangular three-storey tower house (TN006-006001) and bawn (int. dims. 32m N-S; 33m E-W) built with uncoursed limestone rubble. The original bawn wall, which was attached to the NE angle of the tower, was used as the E wall of this later building with a small trabeate doorway inserted into the S end of the E wall. The original entrance to the bawn is now destroyed and was located along the N wall and was protected by a two-storey gatehouse with barrel-vaulted ground floor. The barrel vault over the ground floor is incomplete at its W end in order to accommodate a wooden stairs to give access to the first floor. Inside the bawn area to the W of the tower house there is a small dome-shaped structure covering two open-ended E-W tunnels which are separated by an E-W wall. According to the local landowner the small tunnels, which have lintelled roofs, were possibly places to store food because of their constant temperature. Tower house formed E boundary of bawn wall with main bawn area to W of tower house. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

Redmond Burke took Drominagh Castle in 1598 as a base for raiding Clanrickard. It is remembered for its role in the military conflicts of late 16th-century Ireland.

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.