Castle — Ballyengland Upper

Ballyengland or Castle Hewson described in 1840 as 'This house consists of two rectangular buildings, lying E. and W. of each other, and communicating by a smaller building. The E. wing is 3 stories high; the W. wing only 2 stories. The castle was surrounded by a wall [LI011-104001-], on the foundation of which the south wall of Castle Hewson House appears to be built. The house is occupied by Wm. Hewson. These ruins stand immediately to the north of Castle Hewson House. They are of a rectangular form. The walls are all standing and perfect. It is 2 stories high, with an arched roof' (OSNB Askeaton Parish, 121-2). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that John mcRorye an Irish Papist was the proprietor of Upper Englandstowne which contained a 'Castle. The said lands are morgadged to Dominicke Roch of Lim[er]icke Ald[e]rman Irish Papist' (Simington 1938, 308). Westropp (1906-7, 205-6) recorded the following details about Ballyengland; 'An appanage of Keynsham Abbey. 1581 T[homas]. England, held Englandstown, or Bally Inglanna, with a C[astle]. He was pardoned 1581 and 1590, and the place granted to him. His son Philip was hanged and attainted for rebellion. Philip had left a son Oliver, and Una Ny Donell Clancie was widow of T[homas]. England (Des. R., 23 ; Inq. Exch. 11, 49; Fi. 3842, 6464; Hardiman Map 36). 1612 It was mortgaged by Dowell mac Meale Murry (Inq. Chan., 9b). 1655 Lower Englandstown, Ald[erma]n. N[icholas]. Fanning; Upper, J. McRory and Brooke Bridges (C.S., p. 68; B.D., 22h). 1669 Granted to Ol[iver]. Lambert (Act Sett.) Bridges, about 1700, let the C[astle]. to the Hewsons. Fabric - The C[astle]. stands on a crag 20 feet [6m] high. The remains consist of a peel tower, with outworks to the south, which are embodied in the modern house. The tower is 42 feet [12.8m] to 46 feet [14m] high, and measures 38 feet [11.6m] by 28 feet [8.5m] outside. The walls are 6½ feet [2m] thick, and have a batter for 11 feet [3.35m] above the ground and a footing course. The pointed south door leads to a staircase rising up the south and east walls. It is stone-roofed, 7 feet [2.1m] to 9 feet [2.7m] high, and 2½ feet [0.76m] wide, lit by three slits. The tower has another pointed door to the east, and three stories, under a vault, turned over wicker; they had wooden floors; the joist-holes remain. The rooms are 25 feet [7.6m] by 15 feet [4.5m], and are lit by plain slits. The story over the vault was removed about 1750; it had a flower garden on top. Locally Ballynaglountha, "Town of the Glen"; recte Ballyinglanna'. Ballyengland House (NIAH Reg. No. 21901106) described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a 'Detached five-bay two-storey country house, built c. 1760, with central two-storey canted projecting bay to front (east) elevation, extensions to rear (west) elevation, and adjoining six-bay two-storey block to rear. Three-stage tower house adjoining house to north elevation' (www.buildingsofireland.ie). Castle Hewson or Ballyengland Castle classified by Donnelly (1999, 37) as Type 1D which was characterised by castles where the 'entrance to the building is located in one of the tower house's long walls near a corner. The entrance lobby is set within the thickness of the long wall. There is no subsidiary chamber but on one side of the lobby is the doorway leading to a wall-stair that rises up through the thickness of the long wall to provide access to the first and/or second floor level in the building' (Donnelly 1999, 25). The castle was described by Salter (2004, 74) as follows; 'Standing on a low crag (visible on the west side) is a tower measuring 11.7m by 9.2m with three storeys below a barrel-vault, above which are modern battlements reached from the south-facing entrance by straight flights of steps in the south and east walls. The second storey has three windows, a latrine in the NW corner and a small chamber in the NE corner. Recent investigations in the lowest room have revealed a stair in the north wall down to a lower level partly excavated in the rock. Although the tower lies empty without any floors and the adjacent house has now also been left empty, adjoining outbuildings to the north remain inhabited. Thomas England was pardoned by the Crown in 1581 and 1590 but his son was hanged and attainted and the castle later passed to the Hewsons'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 18 November 2020