Teerovannan Castle (in ruins) — Teerovannan

In generally level pasture, c. 6m E of the Derryraane River, in a gently undulating landscape with good views to N and across the valley to S, moderate views to W and limited to E, where impeded by a rounded hillock. Named ‘Teerovannan Castle (in ruins)’ on OS historic 6-inch mapping. A weir is depicted and named on the river to the immediate W of the tower house on the 1842 edition of the OS 6-inch map. Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997) suggest that Teerovannan was built by Rory, son of Síoda MacNamara in the late 15th century. According to Salter (2004, 53), the castle was held by Donal Reogh MacNamara in the 1580s. Ua Cróinín and Breen (ibid.) indicate that the property changed hands from MacNamara to the O’Briens sometime after 1626. It is recorded in the ownership of Donough O’Brien in 1688 and by Henry O’Brien in 1712 (ibid.). By 1837, Lewis (vol. 2, 157) describes the castle as being in ruins. This is a rectangular, 3-storey tower house (12.9m N-S; 12.2m E-W) having deep walls (T 2.66m) faced on the exterior with roughly coursed, squared and dressed masonry bonded with a lime mortar having a high pebble content and a beige hue. The quoins have been extensively robbed at all four corners up to the base of the second-floor level with those that survive being well cut. A lot of facing-stones have been removed at ground-floor level exposing the rubble core. A slight base-batter (H 2m; Wth 0.25m) is visible at the W end of the N wall. Exterior The whole external face of the E wall and the SE angle is missing at ground-floor level. Some of the dressed stone facing and most of the window surrounds are largely missing at first-floor level. The openings are broken out and the SE angle is missing at second-floor level. The parapet level and battlements are gone. The ground-floor entrance doorway does not survive. The remains of a broken-out loop are at the N end of the first floor. The external wall-facing and window-surround of a first-floor mural chamber no longer survive. A narrow, flat-headed loop which is chamfered externally, is located at the S end of the E wall. The second-floor level is largely broken out. The remains of a single-light window with a flat head at the N end has an unusual moulding (triple grooved) to the lower half of the window jamb at N. A large window off-centre to N is completely broken out. Another window is off-centre to S and only the S jamb survives and the southern portion of a cusped ogee-head window with a hollow spandrel. This may have been within a moulded boxed surround. The SE corner is broken out exposing the remains of the spiral staircase shaft. The remains of stumps of the stairs are rising from N-S at the S end. The facing-stones of the N wall are missing at lower ground level, except a small portion at the W end. The NW and NE corners are missing and there is a large breach in centre where there were likely to be loops at ground level and first-floor level. There is a narrow loop with a flat head at W end, between the first and second-floor level. A tall, narrow plain ogee-headed loop with an external chamfer is off-centre to W at second-floor level. The ogee head is recessed within a flat-headed chamfered surround which runs into the chamfer of the window surround. A broken-out window is at the same level, off-centre to E. A moulded jamb survives to the W side of the surround. Four put-log holes are arranged in a horizontal line between first and second-floor level. A single put-log is at ground floor and two just below second-floor level. The SE corner is missing and most of the external facing-stone is gone at ground-floor level in the W wall. A small, rectangular (horizontal) opening (Wth c. 0.6m; H c. 0.2m) is located off-centre to N and runs through the thickness of the W wall at ground-floor level. A garderobe chute (Wth 1.4m) is exposed where the facing-stones are removed at the S end of the W wall. The chute appears to have exited c. 1.4m above the current external ground level, where it widens out toward the base. A single light with a cusped ogee head having hollowed spandrels and an external chamfer are at the N end on the first-floor level. A curious, square opening, roughly central at lower first-floor level has a roughly dressed stone surround. A centrally placed broken-out window of which the relieving arch of the embrasure survives is at second-floor level. The sill of a single-light window appears to be still in situ. The ground-floor facing-stones of the S wall are missing and it has been quarried into at the base. The first-floor level single-light flat-headed window loop at E end has a chamfered surround and the W jamb and sill are broken out. Approximately 0.6m below and slightly to E is a small projecting slop-stone. Between the first and second-floor level are two narrow, flat-headed window lights with chamfered surrounds and partially broken out. They are at the E end of this floor level and are possibly lighting a mural chamber. The W half of the wall at second-floor level does not survive. The E jamb of a central window survives where the wall is severed. Two broken-out windows were probably located where there are two breaches in the masonry at the E end. The easternmost was probably a loop lighting the top of the spiral staircase and the other lighting a probable mural chamber. Ivy is becoming heavy above these two breaches and across the missing portion of the S wall. Interior The interior is a rectangular area (7.1m N-S; 8.1m E-W) which was vaulted over the ground (H c. 4m) and first-floor levels, both of which are reduced to the rubble springing only, where seen on the interior of the N and S walls. There is a wide breach (Wth 3.7m) in the E wall (T 2.36m) where the main doorway, entrance lobby and guardroom would have been. The only trace of the entrance is a drawbar-socket (L 1.2m; Wth 0.15m; H 0.19m) off-centre to N at a height of 1.35m above ground level. The ground floor and part of the first-floor wall has been completely broken out, off-centre to S at this point. The lower spiral staircase in the SE corner is also missing at ground and part of first-floor level where only an arc (C 1.45m) survives. A rectangular opening (Wth 0.9m; H 0.35m) is located high up in the centre of the W wall c. 2m above the present ground-floor level and extends the full thickness of the wall, where it is supported overhead by flagstone lintels. A wall niche (max. Wth 1.7m; D 0.73m; H 0.6m) is located at the S end of this wall. A wide breach (Wth 2.15m) in the centre of the S wall is a broken out window embrasure of which only a wide splay on the W side survives. The first-floor apartment was entered via a round-headed doorway at the E end of the S wall. It has an intact hanging-eye at the E side. A wide window embrasure with straight ingoings is located at the N end of the W wall. Four put-log holes above this indicate a mezzanine floor. A round-headed doorway in the centre of the wall at this level leads into a chamber or potentially an oubliette. A wide fireplace with a cut stone surround and mantelpiece is located in the centre of the S wall. The head is sloping in profile and cut-stone skewbacks are a feature either side of the mantel. The main window embrasure is located centrally in the E wall, having a segmental arch and a similar embrasure is adjacent to N. A small lintelled embrasure adjacent to S of the central window could potentially be a side chamber accessed via the side of the larger embrasure. The spiral staircase is chamfered off in the SE corner of the structure at second-floor level. A small lintelled opening leads from the landing to the second-floor apartment. The broken-out embrasure of a loop is immediately adjacent to W. The E side of a splayed window embrasure is evident in the centre and the remainder of the S wall is missing at second-floor level, as is the SW corner. A round-headed window embrasure with straight ingoings is located in the centre of the W wall. A