Castle Cove (in Ruins) — Behaghane

Castle Cove/Caisleán Bhun Inbhir: Tradition ascribes the building of this tower house, also known as Bunaneer Castle, both to the O'Sullivan Mores and the Brennans (OSL; RIA MS 24 K 43). It is recorded that a skirmish between O'Sullivan More's forces and a party of Cromwellians took place in a nearby field, named Droumfaddy, in 1641 (ibid.). The castle is situated on a low rise of rock outcrop on the N shore of Kenmare Bay, and commands fine views of the Beara Peninsula to S. The ruins consist of a rectangular tower house, 11.8m N-S x 9.9m E-W externally, built of split stone rubble laid in mortar with beach pebble and marine shell inclusions. The alternately face-bedded quoins are of sandstone, but most other dressings are of limestone. Two floors of the castle remain, but there is evidence that a third formerly existed. The N, E and W walls survive to just above the upper levels of the first floor but, apart from the attached return of the E wall, the S wall and much of the SW angle of the castle is destroyed. The internal planning of the building consists of a main chamber at each floor level adjoined by small mural chambers at W. The first and second storeys were floored with timber, and communication was by means of a stair in the NW angle which commences at ground floor level. The ground floor has a strong base batter returned to an average height of 2.8m. On each of the wall-faces is preserved the remains of a recessed triangular plane, which commences at the level of the batter return and increases in depth as it rises. The upper limits of the planes are defined by projecting sloping slabs, but their apexes do not survive. Similar features occur on a few tower houses elsewhere in Ireland in which gun loops, located at their apexes, served the walls below (Craig 1982, 103). The entrance to the castle is at ground floor level, midway along the W wall. The doorway is completely defaced but may have been fitted externally for a grille secured from the mural chamber in the S angle of the building by a chain passing through an ope, of which some traces remain. The flagged roof of the small entrance lobby has a murder-hole, served from the first floor mural chamber above. The end-wall of the chamber at S, which is largely infilled with rubble, has collapsed; it was entered from the lobby through a now defaced doorway. Communication with the main ground floor chamber is through a defaced doorway from the lobby, only the N jamb of which survives. The ground floor chamber is lit by windows with limestone dressings set in embrasures in the N and E walls; another may have existed in the collapsed S wall. That at N is ogee-headed and is set in a splayed, lintelled embrasure; it features chamfered jambs and the pivot-holes for a shutter survive. The E window is round-headed with chamfered jambs and was fitted with a shutter, the pivot-holes and drawbar sockets for which are preserved. It is set in a rectangular, lintelled embrasure wnli an angled N ingoing and a stepped S one. Near the E end of the N wall is a lintelled ope leading into a blocked, low passage which appears to curve downwards towards the foundations of the NE angle of the castle. Access to the upper floors was from the ground floor entrance lobby by means of a mural stair entered through a doorway, only the E jamb and lintel of which survives. The stair runs as a wide, angled flight to the NW angle of the building where it ascends in one and a half turns to the second floor level; it is lit by narrow loops with chamfered dressings and splayed ingoings in the N and E walls, one of which is fitted with a small slop-stone. The main first floor chamber was entered from the stair through a well-preserved doorway of pointed arch form with chamfered and punch-dressed jambs; the pivot-stones for the door, which was secured from within by a drawbar, survives at N and here the wall is splayed to receive the door. The location of the doorway in the NW angle of the chamber was facilitated by the provision of constructed squinch beneath. The chamber is lit windows set in embrasures in the N and E walls. The N window is ogee-headed, features a pivot-stone for a shutter, and has splayed ingoings; it is set in a large, rectangular, lintelled embrasure. The E window is flat-headed with chamfered jambs and sill; it inclines somewhat in elevation and features splayed ingoings and a lintelled rear arch. To its N side is a very broad set-back fireplace with a flat arch formed of pitched slabs; two putlog-type holes are visible on its rear face. Two mural chambers occur at the first floor level of the castle at W. Entry to the better preserved of these, that at N, is through a doorway from the stair, only the W jamb of which survives; the W wall of the chamber is checked to receive the door. The chamber was lit by an ogee-headed window with chamfered dressings set in a small, splayed embrasure; the drawbar sockets for a wooden shutter survive. To the S of the embrasure at floor level is a small lintelled wall-recess with splayed ingoings beside which, in the floor of the chamber, is the murder-hole. A ragged gap in the S wall leads into the second mural chamber, but it is unclear whether this marks the location of its original entrance. Only the N end of this chamber, which retains clear evidence of plastering, is preserved due to the collapse of the SW angle of the castle at this level. No section of the castle is preserved above the upper level of its first floor. However, the continuing ascent of the stair, the occurrence of corbels at the upper levels of the first floor chamber, and the presence of a gar-derobe near the NE angle at this level, the chute of which delivered through a discharge ope in the E wall, indicate the former existence of a second floor. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1104. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 31 July 2013 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 175/1944).