Galmoy Castle (in ruins) — Ballyogan

Midway down SE-facing slope in undulating pasture with views restricted by surrounding hills. In the Down Survey (1655-6) the proprietor of ‘Balliogan’ in 1640 is listed as Sir Edward Butler but there is no mention of a house in this townland, nor is one shown in this townland on the Down Survey barony map of Gowran or parish map of Graige (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). A rectangular, three-storey house (int. dims. 8m E-W x 6.5m N-S) composed of roughly coursed sandstone with traces of both internal and external plaster render, dating to the latter half of the 17th century. The present remains comprise the S wall (T 1.25m) and most of the E wall, both surviving to full height. An external chimney projection (L 3.1m) occupies the greater part of the E wall and stacks with string course trim surmount both gables. A 19th-century house extends westward from the W end of the S wall and modern farm buildings adjoin the external face of this wall at the E end. The ground floor is entered through a lintelled doorway (H 1.65m; Wth 0.97m), with relieving arch above, at the S end of the E wall. Centrally placed in the E wall, also at this level, are the remnants of a large fireplace (Wth 2.75m). First-floor features are limited to a collapsed, formerly two-light, flat-headed window in the S end of the E wall and a flat-headed fireplace in the E wall with the remnants of another in the W end of the S wall. Second-floor features are poorly preserved consisting of two two-light flat-headed windows, one at either end of the S wall. See attached photographs: KK029-021----_01 Doorway in E wall, taken 9 November 1994 KK029-021----_02 Ground-floor fireplace in E wall, taken 9 November 1994 KK029-021----_03 First-floor fireplace in E wall, taken 9 November 1994 KK029-021----_04 First-floor window opening in E wall, taken 9 November 1994 KK029-021----_05 First-floor fireplace in S wall, taken 9 November 1994 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 8 March 2022