Castle — Townparks (clandonagh By.)

In Borris in Ossory, in undulating countryside. The Down Survey (1654-7) maps of show a cluster of several large houses, on and around the site of Borris Castle, from which it appears that even then there was a village of some kind here (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 129; NLI,MS 720). The castle or 'house of Borreidge' is first mentioned in 1581 in the will of Brian Oge, Lord of Upper Ossory. In 1626-1627 it was granted to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham by Charles I. In 1693 it was leased by Owen Carroll who passed it to his son Barnaby. Part of Borris House is built over part of the castle site. Described by Carrigan as 'Only the shattered first storey, and fragments of the second storey of Borris castle remain. The walls are now 25 or 30 ft. high, but, when entire, they were probably more than double this height; they are all built of rough, unhewn stones, even the quoins being untouched with a chisel. All the doors , windows and loops are destroyed. The ground storey is internally, about 40 ft. from north to south, and about 25 ft. from east to west; it is divided, longitudinally, in the centre by a wall, now nearly destroyed , from which sprang two lofty parallel arches of stone, running the whole length of the building and supporting the second storey. In the north wall, near the north-east corner, was the entrance door; it led, in front, into the eastern division of the ground floor, and on the left, to a long straight stairway, in the thickness of the east wall, by means of which the second storey is reached. The south wall is but 5ft. Thick; the east wall, containing the stairway, is 7ft. Thick. Probably this castle dates from the fifteenth century or even earlier. Borris House is built over the foundations of a demolished portion of Borris castle or of another castle adjoining it. Underneath the house are ancient cellars, still intact and utilised as storerooms' (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 127-8). No visible surface remains. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007