Castle (in Ruins) — Ballymacphilip

On high plateau among eastern foothills of Nagles Mountains, with commanding view of countryside. Ivy-covered ruins consisting of rectangular 3-storey tower (12m N-S; 10m E-W) with 4-storey corner tower (3.7m N-S; 2.5m E-W) at E end of S wall and added 5-storey corner tower (4m N-S; 6m E-W) at W end of N wall. Latter tower has garderobe chutes exiting near ground level at E and W ends of N wall and is only section of structure with base batter (see plans in Cotter 1994, 100). Entry to main tower is via ruined ground-floor doorway at S end of W wall; part of wicker-centred arch survives over doorway, with section of portcullis slot; to S of doorway fragment of spiral staircase survives, rising from ground to wall walk level. Ground-floor chamber (8.27m N-S; 6.17m E-W) lit by central window in all four walls: plain lintelled lights in splayed embrasures roofed by wicker-centred segmental vaults in W, S and N walls, latter blocked; window in E wall robbed out leaving wide breach. Doorway to SE corner tower, at E end of S wall, now blocked. Joist sockets on E and W walls, all damaged, indicate former wooden floor overhead. Access to 1st floor of main tower probably via wooden stairs from ground floor. Chamber lit by central window in N and S walls; splayed, lintelled embrasures with narrow lintelled lights. Pointed wicker-centred vault (long axis N-S) over chamber, partially collapsed at N and S ends; near S end of W side, directly over ground-floor entrance door, vault is pierced by vertical rectangular shaft beginning at springing line and extending upward through vault; shaft possibly housed part of portcullis mechanism. Main 2nd-floor chamber (10.7m N-S; 8.25m E-W) entered from spiral stairs via collapsed doorway; decorative arcading spans E, W and N walls, springing from corners and intermediary corbels. Chamber lit by three windows in E wall and one each in N, W and S walls; windows are of sandstone rubble construction, without cut-stone lights. Central window in E wall is widest (c. 1.3m), with segmental arched embrasure; others with pointed arches; window seats in N and S windows in E wall and in window in W wall; E wall of NW tower recessed at this level so as not to block window in N wall of main block. Section (L 4.5m) of S end of W wall collapsed; portcullis slot (c.1.5m x 0.15m) intact in floor. Doorway to SE corner tower at E end of S wall; collapsed doorway to NW corner tower at W end of N wall. Much of SE tower collapsed and densely overgrown; access to interior not gained; possible blocked doorway in S wall, probably not original feature. Added NW tower 5 storeys high. Each storey roofed by wicker-centred segmental vault, none intact. Uncertain if breaches in E and W walls at ground-floor level were originally windows. First-floor chamber (2.26m N-S; 2.36m E-W) lit by lintelled slit windows with cut-stone jambs in N and W walls; ope (Wth 1.02m) at S end of E wall with drawbar socket in S side may have been doorway; garderobe chamber (0.8m x 0.9m) in NE corner. Connecting door, now collapsed, between NW tower and main tower at 2nd-floor level; narrow spiral stairs (Wth 0.43m) rise from this level in SW corner of added tower. Only N wall survives above this level; garderobe chamber (1.25m E-W; 0.6m N-S) in NW corner on 4th floor. Little known of history of site. Down Survey (1655-6) barony map shows Ballymacphilip as detached portion of Barony of Condons and Clangibbon. 'Ballym'Phillipp' included in 1588 grant of land to Arthur Hyde, along with large areas of Condon's territory (de Búrca 1994, vol. 3, 75: fiant No. 5291). This building has many features typical of a late-medieval tower house but its elongated form and the portcullis slot suggest an earlier date; it is probably a transitional form between 13th-century hall house and 15th-century tower house. 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