Cloghleagh Castle — Moorepark

On limestone outcrop, overlooking Funshion River to SW. Rectangular 5-storey tower (13.2m N-S; 10.7m E-W) with rounded corners and battered walls. Fragments of bawn wall survive on cliff-edge to W (see plan Cotter 1994, 32-41). Entered through ground-floor doorway at S end of W wall with pointed-arch door. Lobby inside has similar doors leading N to straight mural stairs, and E to main chamber (7.47m N-S; 5.19m E-W). Latter has deep square-set window embrasures, with plank-centred segmental vaults, in N, E and S walls; narrow lights blocked in all three; ceiling joists overhead date to 19th-century renovations. Mural stairs rise to NW corner, continuing as spiral stairs to 4th-floor level. Small landing atop straight stairs has rebuilt doorway leading E into main 1st-floor chamber. Latter roofed by wicker-centred vault (long axis N-S). Lit by central window in N and S walls, similar to those in ground floor. Doorway in W side of S embrasure leads to short flight of steps giving access to long vaulted mural chamber in W wall; murder hole in floor; horizontal slit (L 0.83m; H 0.20m), in straight-set embrasure on exterior wall, with sockets for sliding shutter. At 2nd-floor level doorway leads from stairs to small landing, lit by slit window with slopstone in N wall. Lintelled doorway leads E up three steps to lintelled mural chamber in N wall (1.9m E-W; 1m N-S); horizontal slit in N wall; partially blocked garderobe at E end of N wall. Pointed-arch door leads S from landing to main 2nd-floor chamber (7.65m N-S; 5.1m E-W); lit by windows in E, S and W walls identical to those in main chambers below. Small plain lintelled fireplace in N wall is late insertion, for which garderobe shaft acts as chimney. At 3rd-floor level pointed-arch door leads E from stairs to short passage which gives access to main 3rd-floor chamber via door in W side of window embrasure in N wall of main chamber. Latter embrasure, and similar one in S wall, have narrow rectangular lights. Chamber roofed by pointed wicker-centred vault (long axis N-S). Window embrasure in S wall has lintelled doorway in E side leading into long mural passage curving round SE corner and then running full length of E wall; passage lit by three slit windows; also has two horizontal slit openings. Between 3rd and 4th floors, pointed-arch door leads S off stairs to small forechamber (2m N-S; 0.9m E-W) in W wall, from which narrow lintelled doorway leads S into inner mural chamber (4.5m N-S; 1.5m E-W). Inner chamber roofed by pointed vault. Above this level, spiral stairs ends in a small landing in NW corner of tower. Pointed-arch door leads E from landing to straight mural stairs in N wall; stairs rise to 4th-floor level, giving access to main chamber through doorway in W side of window embrasure in N wall. Latter embrasure narrowed on E side to accommodate inserted plain lintelled fireplace. East and W walls have square-set embrasures with pointed rear arches and single ogee-headed lights; similar embrasure in S wall has double ogee-headed light. Arcade overhead, spanning S wall, supported by tapering corbel; cornice on E and W walls. Plain lintelled doorway, with unusually high threshold, at N end of W wall, leads to spiral stairs which gives access to series of mural chambers in N wall, rising a further two storeys, above which are two further storeys in small central turret. Spiral stairs gives access to lintelled mural chamber (3.4m E-W; 0.88m N-S) at 5th-floor level; pointed-arch door in S wall of chamber probably gave access to gallery overlooking main 4th-floor chamber. Lintelled doorway at E end of chamber leads into second chamber (3.7m E-W; 0.85m N-S) where garderobe recess in N wall is partially built up with brick to form flue from fireplaces below; doorway high up on E end of S wall, not original, gives access to E wall walk. Sixth-floor mural chamber in N wall consists of forechamber (2m E-W; 1.1m N-S), entered directly from spiral stairs, with horizontal slit in N wall; chamber has lintelled roof, with trapdoor giving access to wall walk and turret overhead; lintelled doorway in E wall leads to inner chamber (3.8m E-W; 1.2m N-S); brick-built flue in NE corner. Spiral stairs rise above 6th-floor level, but end in S-facing blocked doorway. Access to 7th floor (lower floor of turret) through trapdoor from chamber below; open wall walk at E and W ends with horizontal slits in high parapet walls at NE and NW corners; brick flue at NE corner. Upper level of turret (8th floor) now inaccessible but doorway in E wall probably originally reached by wooden stairs from NE wall walk. At attic level, over main 4th-floor chamber, is mural passage in S wall and wall walks on E and W walls; latter protected by high rebuilt parapet walls with two wide lintelled windows in each. Access to W wall walk is from spiral stairs via lintelled doorway; similar doorway at S end gives access to mural passage in S wall with two narrow rectangular lights in S wall; access from passage to attic area over 4th floor via rebuilt doorway, which may not be original, in N wall; lintelled roof over passage, several roof slabs missing, wall walk above. Part of bawn wall (L 11m, H c. 3m) runs N-S along cliff edge ending c. 35m SW of tower house in fragment of circular corner tower (int. diam. 2.3m, H c. 2m); aerial photograph (CASAP) shows outline of E and N sides of bawn wall enclosing area possibly 80m x 80m, with probable circular corner tower at NE corner. Walled passageway (Wth 0.8m; H walls 1.5m) exits bawn area c. 18m SW of tower house, extending down cliff face and ending in partially collapsed circular tower (int. diam. 2.7m) at base of cliff; ground floor and part of first floor survive, setback in walls over ground floor to carry ceiling joists. Ground floor walls of tower pierced by five gun loops, first floor by one (see plan in Cotter ibid., 38). Castle of the Condons, granted to Fleetwood in late 16th century as part of Munster Plantation; temporarily repossessed and again lost by Condons during wars of mid-17th century (Healy 1988, 404-5); finally passed to Moores (later Earls of Mount-Cashel) in 1781 (ibid.). Repaired by Mount-Cashel in late 19th century (ibid.). 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