Castle (in Ruins) — Castlemore

On top of a limestone outcrop, in otherwise flat low-lying area. Ground immediately E of castle quarried in 19th century, now occupied by modern quarry plant; immediately outside N wall of castle is narrow abandoned quarry, now used as dump; steep slope down on W side is scree of collapsed masonry; on S side land slopes down gently towards road. Remains consist of roughly rectangular bawn (c. 45m E-W; c. 20m N-S), E wall fallen but substantial remains of N and S walls surviving; two towers, to SE and SW; L-shaped 18th-century house which, with SW tower, occupied whole W end of bawn, enclosing tower in SW angle of L (see plan, Gillman 1892b, 214). Gillman (ibid., 219) also mentions defended 'paddocks' to N and S of bawn: area overgrown, disturbed and inaccessible. S enclosing wall of bawn (L 7.2m; Wth c. 1.95m) heavily ivy-clad, with noticeable base batter on S face. Breaks off at W end, at E end joins 4-storey tower (c. 6.5m N-S; c. 5m E-W) at SE corner of bawn, midway along its W elevation. Access to tower via mural chamber (1.8m E-W; 1.3m N-S) in S bawn wall; roofless, open to E end of larger mural chamber above (see below); N wall of ground-floor chamber now fallen but relieving arch and steps up into chamber suggest that door from bawn was at W end of N wall. Lintelled doorway at E end gives entry into tower through its W wall; inside entrance door is short lobby covered by murder hole, with further lintelled door giving access straight through to ground-floor chamber (3.2m N-S; 2.4m E-W); similar door on N side of lobby gives access to base of mural stairs which rise in N wall to NE corner of tower, continuing as spiral and giving access to 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-floor chambers via pointed doors in NE corner. Ground-floor chamber has central window in S wall, with splayed and lintelled embrasure and single flat-headed light; similar window at S end of E wall, now blocked up. Chamber covered by recent roof composed of metalbars supporting concrete slabs. First-floor chamber lit by windows in same position as those of chamberbelow and of same type. N wall is not parallel to S wall but set back atslight angle to N, leaving W end slightly wider (L 3.55m) than E end (L2.9m). At N end of W wall is recess (1.65m N-S; 0.8m E-W) covered by plank-centred segmental vault, N side continues angle of N wall of chamber. At S end of W wall of recess is lintelled door, now blocked, which gave access to mural chamber in bawn wall. Access to this chamber not gained but visual inspection through gap in door blocking shows lintelled chamber (c. 4.5m E-W; c. 1.5m N-S; H c. 2.5m); upper part of N wall slopes noticeably inwards in uneven fashion. Large opening in floor along E end of N side over ground-floor chamber in S bawn wall; two narrow splayed and lintelledembrasures in S wall contain gun loops. Gillman's plan (ibid.) shows thirdgun loop at W end of N wall; blocked door at W end. Second-floor chamber of tower lit by windows, similar to those of floorsbelow, at E end of N and S walls; ledge (Wth 0.3m) at floor level along Nand W walls. Chamber covered by pointed wicker-centred vault (axis N-S). Third-floor chamber (4.4m N-S; 3.6m E-W) has fireplace with flat arch alongN wall. At N and S ends of W wall, in centre of S wall and at N end of Ewall, are splayed and lintelled window embrasures; S window has singleflat-headed light; N window in W wall has single flat-headed light and, in base of embrasure, seat of garderobe; E window has single flat-headed light, under sill is large slop-stone. S side of floor covered with fallen masonry, probably from shallow projection supporting wall walk atop S wall. Above this level spiral stairs continue to rise in NE corner, but stairwell noticeably narrower. E wall walk accessed through lintelled door; wall walk intact on E, S and W walls but stack for fireplace occupies most of N wall. Parapet wall survives but crenellations almost entirely fallen; just S of door are two small gun loops in parapet; at SW corner parapet curves outwards to form bartizan, carried on three corbels. Stump of fallen E enclosing wall (L c. 2m; Wth c. 1.6m) joins tower midway along N elevation; Gillman (ibid., 218) mentions remains of entrance gateway at its N end; fragmentary remains of second wall abut E end of same wall. East end of N line of enclosing wall quarried away; outside face of wall heavily ivy-clad. W of break are sod-covered remains of rectangular structure (c. 10.6m E-W; c. 7m E-W) against N wall; small size and lack of windows on exterior (N) wall make Gillman's (ibid., 216-8) identification as 'hall' unlikely. Enclosing wall thickens (from c. 1m to c. 2m) W of latter feature; at E end of this section of wall (L 11m) is blocked doorway, at W end is 1st-floor mural chamber, similar in size and type to that in S bawn wall shown on Gillman's plan (ibid.); entry now blocked up. From this point westward, with exception of tower at SW corner, the remains appear to be those of 18th-century house, corresponding to 'inner ward' on Gillman's plan (ibid.). Exact layout of house uncertain due to fragmentary and overgrown nature of remains, but E part of three storeys whilst W section, on N side of SW tower, of two storeys. SW Tower: Almost entire W half of 4-storey tower collapsed (see photograph ibid.); it appears to have been roughly square in plan (7.2m N-S; c. 7.4m E-W). Ground floor has lintelled doorway in middle of N wall, with hanging eye on W side. E side of door corresponds with vertical joint on N face of tower; this also corresponds with W side of walled-in area (1.5m N-S; 1.8mE-W) in NE corner (ibid., 214, 216) of ground-floor chamber of tower. According to Gillman (ibid.), this contained a spiral stairs, but it has no openings at ground-floor level, though there is a lintelled door on W side at 1st-floor level; this enigmatic feature does not rise above vault over 1st floor. First floor covered by vault (axis N-S) of which only springings from E wall survive. Second floor covered by bluntly-pointed vault (axis E-W); central window ope in E wall. Central window in E wall at 3rd-floor level; chimney stack atop S wall (see photograph, Gillman ibid., 215). Castlemore, also known as Dundrinan, came into Mac Carthy possession sometime in 15th century (Nicholls 1993, 173) and became one of their chief seats in Muskerry; Mac Sweeneys were its 'chief warders' in 16th century (O Murchadha 1985, 291). Forfeited in 1641; by late 17th century residence of John Bayly; later 'passed to the Rye family who inhabited it into the 18th century' (Healy 1988, 39); in 1750 described as 'in repair and inhabited by Mr Travers' (Smith 1750, vol. 1, 199). By early 19th century had become 'one of the most picturesque ruins in the county' (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 398). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009