Castle — tower house in Clonroad Beg

A 15th/16th-century tower house within the Old Ground Hotel complex in Ennis historic town (CL033-082----). Referred to in the Calendar of State Papers (Cal. S.P. Ire., 1509-73, 432) as ‘The Inche’. In 1574 the earl of Thomond was named as the owner of the castles of Clonrawde (CL033-085001-), Clare (CL041-089----) and Inish (Twigge 1910, 75-85). A rectangular structure (7.5m x 5.2m; wall T at base 1.2-1.5m) with other walls of similar thickness radiating out from it. Originally three or four-storeyed but only extant to first-floor level and mostly hidden by modern plaster and wall board dating to renovations done in the 1960s. The original masonry appears to consist of large blocks of evenly coursed limestone. The vaulted ground floor is much altered and in use as store-rooms, staff dining and reception areas and its original plan is difficult to ascertain. It had a fireplace that is now blocked up. At first-floor level there is a barrel-vaulted room. The E wall is stepped 0.7m below the vault creating a ledge (Wth 0.15m). Towards the W of the vault is a line of wall in the roof plaster (Wth 0.6m) indicating a former division within the room. It was lit towards the E end of the S wall by a segmental-headed window under the vault. The window is slightly splayed and the rear arch is flat lintelled although the vault has a pointed arch above the window. A similar but smaller pointed arch occurs towards the W end of this wall and there is a wide modern door beneath it. The W wall has a wide, flat-arched, modern, wooden-framed door in the centre. There is another flat lintelled opening at the W end of the N wall and two double-splayed modern openings to the E. Above the more easterly opening is a pointed arch set into the vault similar to that in the S wall which may indicate a larger original window in this position. A large carved fireplace, dated 1553, from Leamaneh Castle (CL016-032002-) has been set into the centre of the E wall. As no stairway is extant it is clear that the tower house was originally part of a larger complex. Adjacent buildings include vestiges of a gatehouse (CL033-082033-) and an 18th-century prison later used as a town hall. (Twigge 1910, 75-85; Bradley, Halpin and King 1988, 80-81; Ua Cróinín and Breen 1987, 46-7; 1992, 5-7; Ó Dálaigh 2012, 15; RPS 2013, 112) CL033-082007-_01.jpg and CL033-082007-_02.jpg attached. Compiled by: Mary Tunney The attached document (CL033-082007-_01.pdf ) containing details from 'The Castles and Tower-houses of Co. Clare' (unpublished report), has been uploaded courtesy of R. Ua Cróinín and M. Breen. Date of upload: 11 December 2014