Inchicrenagh Castle (in Ruins) — Castlerichard

In farmyard of Castle Richard House (CO077-02102-), built on rock outcrop, 5-storey rectangular tower (11.4m N-S; 9.9m E-W) standing to full height but missing battlements. Farmbuildings built againt N and S walls. Ground floor doorway near W end of N wall. Outer door has dressed limestone surround with pointed arch, set in two orders; inner W arch stone has inscription "1592 TG" cut in false relief; yett hole through E jamb. From lobby, door with pointed arch lead straight through to main chamber; similar door on E side, with yett hole through N jamb, gives access to short lintelled passage, with murder hole above, and thence to straight stairs rising to 1st floor level before continuing upwards as spiral in NE corner. Ground floor chamber (int. 8.4m N-S; 5.45m E-W) lit by windows in centre of S, E and W wall; square-headed lights set in small lintelled embrasures, inner part of embrasure larger and square-set, covered by segmental wicker-centred arch. Similar window at 1st floor levelin S wall. Ground floor window in S wall modified to form door into farmbuildings. First floor entered by door with pointed arch, now blocked, at E end of N wall from top of straight mural stairs. At centre of N wall lintelled door into murder hole chamber; access not gained. Over 1st floor is rounded wicker-centred vault (N-S axis). Second floor entered at NE corner by door with pointed arch, from spiral stairs. Central window opesin S, E and W wall, similar to ground floor windows, but with ogee-headed lights. Window in centre of N wall has flat-headed light, E jamb gone. On W side of embrasure lintelled door leads into garderobe chamber roofed by segmental vault; remains of garderobe at W end; slit light in N wall. At 3rd floor level spiral stairway gives access through door with pointed arch to mural chamber in N wall, which in turn gives access through lintelled doors to main chamber to S, and small mural chamber to W. Main chamber litby central window in S wall with flat-headed light; lower half of embrasure blocked up. Third floor covered by rounded wicker-centred vault (axis N-S). Fourth floor entered directly from top of spiral stairway through door with pointed arch. Roughly-central window opes in E, W and S walls: square-set embrasure covered by roughly-pointed arches; twin ogee-headed lights missing central mullion (S and E lights also missing archstone atop mullion). Window embrasure in N wall covered by rounded wicker-centred vault; twin ogee-headed light. In W ingoing of embrasure lintelled door leads into garderobe chamber covered by segmental vault; slit window in N wall. In E ingoing of embrasure lintelled door leads into mural stairs, rising to NE corner, first giving access through lintelled door to long garderobe chamber in N wall, and thence to wall walk. This chamber coveredby segmental vault and lit by two slit windows in N wall. Top of stair wall gives access through lintelled door to wall walk atop E wall; drainage gutter stones in position but crenellations entirely broken away. Traces of roof gable flashing evident on ivy-clad inside of N wall; upper part of gable fallen. Cut in relief on quoin stone, c. 2.25m above ground level on W side, much-worn human face; possibly representation of Thomas 'Geannagh'Fitzgerald whose initials are cut in ground floor door (Healy 1988, 121); 'geanncach' or 'snub-nosed' was nickname of branch of Imokilly Geraldines who resided here (O Murchadha 1985, 148). 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. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009