What is recorded here

Indicated is a crannog in County Cavan, Ireland. It is an island about 68m by 43m, made mostly of rocks thrown onto a limestone ridge in a lake. In 1224 it was called the Castle of Crannog O’Reilly, linking it to the O’Reillys, lords of East Bréifne. Before drainage in the 1850s the lake ran about 2m higher, making the island smaller and likely more exposed. The stones may have come from a lake cashel wall, giving castle builders a ready source of material.

The island on which Clogh Oughter Castle stands measures about 68m by 43m and is composed mostly of rocks thrown down on a limestone bedrock ridge in the lake that rises to around the present Summer water level. Prior to drainage works in the 1850s the level of the lake would have been on average about 2m higher than today making the crannog smaller in extent. It was referred to in 1224 soon after it was built as the Castle of Crannog O’Reilly indicating that it was built on O’Reilly’s crannog. The O’Reillys were the lords of East Bréifne. It is possible that this crannog took the form of a lake cashel. Such a cashel wall would have provided a handy initial source of stone for the castle builders. Compiled by: Conleth Manning Date of upload: 2 October, 2014

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