Conna Castle (in Ruins) — Conna

On top of a steep-sided rock outcrop, overlooking the river Bride to the N. This five-storey tower house (13.6m E-W; 9.6m N-S), survives to full height. According to Flood (1915, 195) Conna Castle was 'built by Sir Thomas Ruadh Fitzgerald about the year 1560'; he was the eldest son of the 14th Earl of Desmond and died at the castle in 1595. The castle was repaired by Richard Boyleabout 1620 (ibid., 196), unsuccessfully assaulted by James Fitz Morris of Macollop in 1642 before falling to Lord Castlehaven in 1645 (ibid.); it was accidentally burnt in 1653 (ibid), killing three daughters of the steward, Edward Germaine. Grose depicts it in the early 19th century (Stalley 1991, 122) with the W gable intact, without merlons, and possibly roofed. The castle was repaired by A.G.L. L'Estrange in the latter part of the 19th century; it eventually passed to the state. It is entered by a door in the E wall at ground level, of which the door surround is rebuilt but the yett-hole is evident on the S side (the yett was an iron grille or gate that hung outside the timber door, protecting it). A short lobby gives access to the main ground floor chamber (8m E-W; 5.8m N-S), and to the base of a spiral stone staircase in the SE corner, which rises to the 4th floor level. The main ground floor chamber is lit by windows in the E, N and W walls and by a pair in the S wall, all of similar design with two-part embrasures: the inner square-set embrasure is covered by a wicker-centred vault, the outer part is splayed and lintelled with square-headed light. The outer part of the E window is blocked. The window ope in the N wall was reused as a fireplace, judging by the square flue rising through the roof of the embrasure. The main 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor chambers are entered from spiral stairs, as are mural chambers (c. 3.8mN-S; c. 2m E-W) in the E wall, at roughly the same levels as the main chambers. The main 1st floor chamber has heavily rebuilt window opes in the S and W walls; in the centre of the N wall a shallow fireplace is missing its lintel. the first floor is covered by a bluntly pointed wicker-centred vault (axis E-W). The mural chamber is covered by a segmental wicker-centred vault (axis N-S); there is a blocked window in the E wall. The main 2nd floor chamber is lit by similar window opes in the N, W and S walls but with plank-centred vaults and ogee-headed lights; there is a double light on the S wall; the light in the N wall was rebuilt. There is a slit window in the S wall, near the door, with a slop stone under the sill. The fireplace is in the centre of the N wall, with an elliptical arch cut on the underside of the lintel. Just above and below the main 2nd floor level, there are mural chambers in the E wall; the lower one is covered by rounded wicker-centred vault, and has a lintelled window in the E wall with an ogee-headed light; the higher one is covered by a roughly pointed wicker-centred vault, has a pair of lintelled windows in the E wall with ogee-headed lights, and a garderobe opening at the N end. The main 3rd floor chamber is lit by windows in the N, S and W walls, similar to the 2nd floor windows; the light on the N wall square-headed. The third floor is covered by a bluntly-pointed wicker-centred vault (axis E-W). The mural chamber at about this level is covered by a pointed wicker-centred vault and lit by widely-splayed window with square-headed light, in the E wall. The main 4th floor chamber is entered by a broken door at the top of spiral stairs. A wide rounded arch covers the E end of the chamber (2.75m E-W; 4.1m N-S); this space is lit by a central window in the E wall with a tall double ogee-headed light. Immediately on the S side is an opening for simple hooded machicolation which covers the ground floor door. The main area of the chamber (8.5m E-W; 6.8m N-S) is lit by windows in the N and W walls and a pair in the S wall, all similar to the E window; a pair in the S wall appears almost entirely rebuilt. Near the E end of the N wall a lintelled door leads to a short flight of steps and a narrow mural chamber (2.75m E-W; 1.05m N-S) in the N wall, with a garderobe opening, lit by a slit window in the E wall. A lintelled door in the E ingoing of easternmost window in the S wall leads to a flight of steps rising to the SE corner and rising from there as a spiral before reaching the landing. From the landing a lintelled door to the W gives access to a wall walk atop the S wall; a door to the N gives access to a mural chamber in the E wall (2m E-W; 5.9m N-S), which has a small fireplace in the W wall, and windows with double ogee-headed lights in the E and N wall. The flashing for the gabled roof of the main 4th floor chamber is visible on the external W wall of the mural chamber; the opposite gable on the main W wall has fallen. The wall walk is preserved atop the S, W and N walls, but merlons are of recent construction. c. 2.8m N of the NW corner, the NW corner of an ancillary structure survives (ext. 2.35m N-S; 2.3m E-W; int. 1.7mn N-S; 1.4m E-W), which was probably part of the bawn enclosure. Both wall ends terminate with ingoings of window embrasures; the walls stand to a max. H of 3m. This is a National Monument in State Ownership (no. 240) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See also 'Heritage Castles of County Cork' (Cork: Heritage Unit of Cork County Council, 2017), 83-4. Photographs attached CO046-001----_01: Aerial view of the tower house from SE. CO046-001----_02: Aerial view from SW. CO046-001----_03: Exterior of the S elevation from S. CO046-001----_04: Exterior of the E elevation from E. CO046-001----_05: Exterior of the W elevation from W. CO046-001----_06: Opening of the garderobe chute, E end of N wall. CO046-001----_07: Remains of ancillary structure, from E. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009