Ballymoon Castle (in ruins) — Ballymoon

National Monument No. 486. Situated on a low rise of ground in undulating countryside overlooked by higher ground to NE with stream 25m to E. Moated site (CW016-054001-) 270m to NNW. 1839 ed. OS 6-inch map shows marshy land located to N and E of castle. Earthworks (CW016-055002-) in field W of castle entrance may be the remains of a deserted medieval settlement or part of the designed landscape associated with the castle. O’Keeffe (2001, 170) suggests that Ballymoon Castle was constructed c. 1300 on lands that were then in the possession of the Carew family and that the castle may have been built by a wealthy descendant of the Carews. Early fourteenth-century castle consisting of a roughly square-shaped courtyard area (int. dims. 26m N-S x 25m E-W) enclosed by a range of buildings on all four sides protected by a curtain wall (ext. dims. 42m NE-SW x 41m NW-SE) which survives three storeys high. Leask (1944, 185) recorded the local tradition that the castle was never finished however he concluded that although ‘the point may never be settled satisfactorily but there is ground for believing that the castle was occupied’. The curtain wall has 4 latrine towers which are located off centre to W on N wall, at centre of E wall, on SE angle, and a large barrel-vaulted multi-storey tower containing a two garderobes located off centre to E in S wall. Three of the 4 mural towers contain double garderobe chutes while the SE angle tower contains a single garderobe making a total of 7 toilets present in the castle. In 1835 the castle was described as being enclosed externally by a moat which has since been filled in, however an earlier description from 1793 states that there was no enclosing moat around the castle. The curtain wall (H c. 6m; wall T 2.2m) is built with coursed granite rubble with no base batter visible. Numerous putlog holes visible in the curtain wall on all four sides. There is good evidence for external lime render on the N and E walls of the castle only with no traces visible on the S and W walls due to weathering. The castle courtyard is entered through a destroyed gateway located off centre to N in W wall. Evidence of portcullis slot inside entrance gate of castle with recess for possible external drawbridge visible in external face of gateway. The tie stones of a possible forebuilding or gatehouse can be seen projecting out from the face of of the wall at first floor level. The foundations of this forebuilding can be seen outside the entrance gate. Directly inside the entrance gate on the S side there is a pointed doorway leading to a spiral stairs which gives access to the upper floor levels of the gatehouse and to the range of buildings on the W side of the castle courtyard. The projecting mural latrine tower on the N wall contains two garderobe chute openings with Caernarvon arches. This tower is located off centre to W in the N wall of the castle and is located beside the large double fireplace visible in the centre of the N wall of the castle. This mural latrine tower has cruciform-shaped arrow loops with plunging sills in W and E faces which provides flanking fire along the external face of the N wall of the castle. The presence of the large double fireplace indicates the location of the Great Hall of the castle. The mural latrine tower with double garderobe in the E wall also possesses cruciform-shaped arrow loops in N and S faces of the tower providing flanking fire along both sides of the external face of the E wall of the castle. The larger three storey-high barrel-vaulted tower on the S wall of the castle also contains cruciform arrow-loops in E and W faces which provides flanking fire along external face of S wall of castle. The curtain wall of the castle has three cruciform-shaped arrow-loops at E end of S wall with no arrow loops in S wall to W of barrel-vaulted garderobe tower. The wall of the castle is defended by four cruciform-shaped arrow loops with four similar shaped arrow loops visible in N wall of castle. No cruciform arrowloops present in W wall of castle. Smal singlle light flat headed opes located either side of entrance gate with a second single light flat-headed ope located off centre to N in W wall at fround floor level. Pointed single-light window at first floor level in W wall to N of entrance gate. The windows are set into pointed arched embrasures with chamfered cut stones surrounds with good evidence of internal lime render visible on the sides and roof of the window embrasures. The garderobes in the E wall are entered through cut stone chamfered doorwars with Caernarvon arches. A broken out fireplace in the E wall of the castle can be seen located between two cruciform shaped arrowloops. Foundations of cellars and large numbers of embrasures, loops, window and garderobes indicate ranges of buildings on all sides. Foundations of cellars only suggests building may never have been completed (Leask 1944, 183-90). Cross-loops with expanded terminals and 'Caernarvon arches' indicate construction date no earlier than end of thirteenth-century. National Monument No. 486 under state guardianship. Ballymoon Castle was drawn (see attached plan) and described in 1793 as consisting of ‘walls rudely built of mountain stone, were originally 30 feet (9m) high, and still about 20 (6m), inclosing an area of 110 feet (33.5m) square. On the fourth side is the entrance d defended by a portcullis. At o were newel stairs leading to the parapet and battlements on the top of the wall. On the east side was a tower b which contained the principal apartments, having 3 stories, each containing a room 25 feet (7.6m) by 16 (4.8m), to which conducted a newel stair c. On the west side was another tower h. On the north side are three small apartments a ascended to by steps in the wall; each apartment is 12 feet (3.6m) by 6 (1.8m), and has a fireplace and one window in the form of a cross, small, and doth not appear to have been glazed. f,f,f,f are windows large on the inside but very narrow without. G the foundation of sheds, under which most probably the cattle were stalled. Within the area A were wells and other conveniences now filled up. The building is situated in a high rocky field without either ditch or mound, nor doth there appear to have been wither wood or habitation near it. This castle, from the architecture and ornaments, seems to be of the 14th century’ (Anon 1793, 274-5). The castle was described in 1835 as the ruins of a castle forming a ‘square, measuring about one hundred and twenty feet (36.5m) on each side. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, now almost filled up. The interior has totally fallen into ruins-some trace of cross-walls remaining here and there, and the base of a few pillars, scarcely distinguishable. There are two square towers- in the south, one and in the north, another. The windows, mere loop holes, are in good preservation, about five feet (1.5m) in height, four inches (0.1m) broad and of a crucifix form at top. The entrance is on the west, by a cut-stone arched gateway, the upper part of which has fallen from its place. The main walls. Which are about 31 feet (9.4m) in height, are not less than eight feet (2.4m) thick, and are covered with earth and grass. The centre appears to have been at all times an open, uncovered area. The architecture is of great strength and durability. To the right, on entering, is a pointed arch; inside which, and in the main wall, are some steps leading to a loop-hole’ (Anon 1835, 249-50). Harbison (1970, 32) described Ballymoon as following: ‘The castle consists of a square central courtyard surrounded by walls which are eight feet (2.4m) thick and twenty feet (6m) high, with square towers projecting from three sides. On the fourth side is the gate with a pointed arch and a groove for the portcullis. The interior of the castle is bare, but originally there were two-storey structures built up against the in