Inchovea Castle (in ruins) — Toormore (corcomroe By.)

Although overlooked by higher, overgrown and wooded ground from W-N-E, the monument is, nevertheless, defensively sited on a broad shale rock outcrop around which the fast-flowing River Fergus bends SW-E-N. Indicated and named ‘Inchovea Castle (in ruins)’ on the first (1840) and later Cassini (1916) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Described by O’ Donovan (1839) as a castle ‘in tolerable preservation, in the Townland of Toormore, and called the Castle of Inchoveigh’ (Comber 1997, 90) and subsequently described by Westropp (1899, 354 & 357) as having ‘two stories above the upper vault’ and a fireplace with ‘spiral pillars’. In 1992, the castle was surveyed by Ua Cróinín and Breen (please see their unpublished report attached) who interpreted the castle’s name ‘Inchovea’ as ‘Inse Bheithe - River Meadows of the Birch Trees’. They suggested that while it was owned by Sir Donald O’Brien in 1580 it was likely constructed decades before this date, and they further noted that it was not known when it collapsed but that stones were reused in the nearby farmhouse and associated out buildings and local knowledge suggested that the stones were also reused to build Inchovea National School. They observed that the shale rock upon which it stands was eroding which might cause further collapse. On field inspection in 1999, the castle was recorded as the partially ivy-clad, (and almost literally) half-ruined remains of a 5 storey tower house standing to its full height (H c. 21m) at the E, with only the E-wall (int. L 3.46m N-S; ext. L c. 7.5m; wall T c. 2m) and two short returns of the adjoining N wall (int. L c. 5m) and S-wall (int. L c. 5m) surviving. The walls (T 1.68-2.45m) are constructed from randomly coursed mortared masonry with quoins on the external angles, while a string course of slate indicates the base of the battlements. The walls rise from a plinth built directly on bedrock and have a tall (H 6m) base batter. Ground-floor level comprises a single, stone-vaulted chamber (H 3.85m) with traces of wickerwork centering under the pointed arch. A centrally placed opening in the E wall (int. Wth 1.4m) reaches the ground and may be a window, although rubble outside of this opening may indicate collapsed steps leading to a doorway? Two corbels in the N wall and two corbels in the S wall opposite suggests that the ground floor may have had a low loft, or half-loft, under the vault. Although the upper floors are no longer accessible, many features are still visible: the wall chambers or aumbrys and both of the corner spiral staircases are intact. In the interior at first-floor level, a square headed opening is centrally placed in the E wall with an aumbry to its S. There are corbels in each corner and the embrasure of a window or a cupboard is visible in the N wall. At second-floor level, there is a vaulted stone ceiling and a centrally placed square opening in the E wall. Staircases rise in the NE and SE angles and a mural passage in the N wall may have led to a garderobe. There is also a single jamb or an embrasure visible in the S wall. At third-floor level, there is a centrally placed twin-light opening in the E wall with hood moulding visible externally. There is also a single jamb window embrasure in the N wall and a single jamb window embrasure in the S wall. At fourth-floor level, there is a centrally placed twin-light opening in the E wall, again with external hood moulding, and a possible window or embrasure jamb survives in the N wall. In 1992, Ua Cróinín and Breen (op. cit.) observed rough cast lime plaster surviving on the external face of the N wall, towards its top (H 3.04m). They also recorded a possible bawn (CL016-083001-) adjoining the castle to N and NE which was not clearly identifiable on the 1999 inspection, though the area was extensively overgrown. See attached document with details from Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen, The Castles and Tower-houses of Co. Clare (unpublished report). Uploaded courtesy of R. Ua Cróinín and M. Breen. Date of upload: 5 December 2014 See attached image: CL016-083----_plate 1 View of surviving remains from SW, 16-5-1999. Compiled by: Gearoid Conroy and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 10 November 2022