Templeconnell Castle (in Ruins) — Templeconnell

In level pasture, overlooking bogland to N, W, and S. Rectangular 5-storey tower (8.5m E-W; 6.7m N-S); large breaches in N, E, and S walls at 1st/2nd-floor level. Tower entered through ground-floor doorway near E end of S wall; door surrounds missing. Lobby inside, covered by vault with murder hole, gives entry on W side to straight mural stairs, and straight through to main ground-floor chamber. Latter (5.8m E-W; 2.48m N-S) lit by slit windows with segmental-arched embrasure in E, W and N walls. Chamber covered by pointed vault (long axis E-W).Stairs, missing many steps, rise to SW corner at 1st-floor level; it then U-turns, and continues to rise straight up through S wall to SE corner, continuing upwards as a spiral stairs. Doorway into 1st-floor chamber missing; chamber lit by slit window in W wall; probably similar windows in N and E walls where there are now wide breaches. A carved human head projects over light of W window on exterior wall face. Dividing wall between chamber and mural stairs in S wall has collapsed. In SE corner steps lead down to murder hole chamber under upper flight of mural stairs; chamber lit by slit windows in S and E walls. Second-floor chamber entered at SE corner from stairs; doorway completely missing. Chamber lit by window in E wall with single ogee-head light; jambs and sill of light missing, embrasure arch collapsed. Third-floor chamber also entered at SE corner from stairs; doorway completely missing. Chamber lit by window with small rectangular light in W wall. Roofed by high pointed vault (long axis E-W). East wall of chamber has collapsed, exposing mural chamber with lintelled roof. Latter entered from spiral stairs through door of which only E jamb survives; chamber extends N in E wall, curves to W through N wall in haunch of vault, probably giving access to garderobe; garderobe chute exits from E end of N wall at 2nd-floor level. Mural chamber in S wall extends from SE to SW corner; original access from spiral stairs in SE corner, only S jamb of doorway survives. Above this level upper parts of spiral broken, inaccessible. External broken walls of inaccessible 4th-floor level visible from below, surviving to greatest height at N end of E wall; slit light visible in this area. Aerial photograph (CASAP) shows outline of bawn as crop mark with tower house near its SW corner. Castle of the Magners, lost to Percival in 1656 (MacCotter and Nicholls 1996, 212). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009