Site of McElligotts Castle — Carrignafeela (trughanacmy By., O'brennan Par.)

Annotated ‘Site of McElligott’s Castle’ on the 1841 ed. OS 6-inch map where it is depicted as a square-shaped area defined with a dotted outline. In 1841 the Ordnance Survey recorded the following about Ballymacelligott; ‘Bally Mac Elligot distant to the east from Tralee about three miles has in it the ruins of some considerable castles [KE039-004----/KE039-001----], but it is chiefly remarkable for its name, which it takes from the MacElligots, a potent family in these parts descended from the MacClowds of the Isle of Skith in Scotland. They came into Ireland with Galfridus de Marisco, Justice of Ireland, and had formerly great possessions in this country’ (O’Donovan 1983, 64). Site of castle described in 1941 as ‘the site of the old castle of which nothing now remains but a few mounds of stones. The foundation can hardly be traced’ (Minutes of the Kerry Field Club). Castle site described in 1989 by the Castlesisland District Archaeological Survey as follows; ‘The site of the castle is situated immediately to the north of the large depression known as Mc Elligott's Prison [KE030-017----]. The River Lee which flows in a westerly, direction lies immediately to the north of the Castle site itself. The ground sloes to the north but about midway down slope between McElligott's Prison and the River Lee, it evens off somewhat to form a rough ledge or break in slope. This appears to be where the Castle was situated. Stone which appears to be outcropping naturally is visible here as it is in the fields lying to the south. A modern farm trackway runs in a northwesterly direction outside "McElligott's Prison" on the northeast, this trackway appears to have cut through part of the castle site before swinging right to run in an east west direction while lying immediately south of the River Lee and running parallel with it. Lying immediately west of this swing in the trackway a low earth and stone bank is visible running from east to west for a distance of 5.5m. At a distance of 20m further west of this bank lies a second bank which runs in a north south direction for a distance of 8m. The south side of the small enclosure formed by the above mentioned banks takes the shape of a steep fall downslope from McElligott's Prison, while on the east yet another low earth and stone bank is visible. The entire area thus enclosed with the banks measures 9m from east to west and 4m from north to south' (SMR File). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 May 2022