Site of Castle — Ballylarkin Lower

On a slight break of a NE-facing slope, in pasture. There are good views in all directions, except upslope to the S. The castle appears to have been located on the W side of a possible associated bawn (KK013-140----), though this rectangular enclosure could also be associated with a late 17th-century house (KK013-017002-) which lies c. 30m SE of the castle, in the SE portion of the enclosure. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 260-1), 'About 30 yards west of this [a 17th-century house KK013-017002-] there are some small fragments of an ancient building; and these, with some mounds and traces of foundations, are all that remain of the once proud castle of Ballylarkin, for centuries the seat of the principal branch of the Shortall family. An underground passage, running beneath the road, connected the castle with the adjoining church [KK013-018001-]. A man named Hickey informed the writer that he had seen this passage many years ago'. According to an OPW file (undated correspondence, post 1932), 'a few perch away [from the 17th-century house] stood the Castle, portion of the walls can be seen in the grassy banks and around about you can see the traces of a double foss[e] or swamps....At some distance from the castle stood a round building [ ] feet internal with walls 3' [c. 0.9m] thick its foundations can be seen where a gate stands in the wall of the fence this Round Building may have been a dove cot or a round Castle in the centre of the Stockades for guarding this castle'. The castle is indicated as ‘Site of’ on both the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map and the 1946-7 revision. There are wall-footings (Wth 0.9m; H 0.06m) running NW-SE c. 15m NW of the N end of the 17th-century house and another length of walling (L 15.5m) running NE-SW from the W end of this wall-footing which are likely to be associated with the castle. The later wall-footings appear to be disturbed at the SW end by a farm track (Wth 8-9m). Immediately SW of the farm track there is a low mound (H 0.52m; dims. 9.6m NE-SW; 11.4m NW-SE) which may be the grass-covered ruins of an outbuilding indicated on the 1st ed. OS map. See attached photographs: KK013-017001-_01 From E looking E KK013-017001-_02 Detail of wall-footing running NW-SE on NE side KK013-017001-_03 From W with bank of bawn in foreground, castle where trees are located to left, remains of 17th house and Ballylarkin church in background KK013-017001-_04 From W with low mound near SW angle of bawn in foreground, castle where trees are located to left, remains of 17th house and Ballylarkin church in background Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 13 September 2022