Site of Castle — Ballyclogh (pubblebrien By.)

Ballyclogh House built on site of and incorporating fabric from Ballyclogh Castle described in 1840 as follows; 'The residence of Edward Morony, Esq. This is a plain but commodious new house, built on site of an old castle. A part of the castle walls, about 8 feet [2.4m] thick, remains perfect in the north end of the house. No tradition remains as to who the original founder of the castle might have been. Human bones have been found when digging in the vicinity of this place' (OSNB Knocknagaul Parish, 1239). The Ordnance Survey letters for Knocknagaul parish recorded that Ballyclogh House 'is built on site of a Castle, part of the walls of which, being about eight feet thick, remain quite perfect in the north end of the house' (OSL Knocknagual Parish, 113). The Cassini OSi 6-inch map and the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map incorrectly show the location of the castle site in a field 75m to the E of Ballyclogh House. The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that John Arthur of Limerick an Irish Papist was the owner of Ballynaclogh/Ballyclogh which contained a 'Corne Mill a tucking Mill, Six tatch Cabbins, and now a stone house' (Simington 1938, 478). Ballyclogh House described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as; 'Detached five-bay two-storey house, built c. 1780. Hipped slate roof with overhanging eaves. Lined-and-ruled rendered walls, stepped render plinth course with base batter to north elevation. Square-headed window openings with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows. The first house built on this site was erected in 1645 but was replaced by the current structure in the mid 1700s, and has seen a number of alterations since that time' (www.buildinsofireland.ie; NIAH Reg. No. 21901342). Westropp (1906-7, 151) recorded the following details about Crewally or Ballyclogh Castle; 'Before 1194 King Donald granted Imalin to the Cathedral (B.B.L., p. 21). The lands often named [Baile na Cloiche] as Omaill, Creuagh-Omaill, &c. 1230 Bishop Edmond granted them to J. de St. John (C.S.P.I.). 1336 Crew Ymaille held by T. de Valle (Rupefort's Rental). The C[astle]. is given separately from Derryknockane in the Perambulation Deed, &c. 1615 Crewe Iwally, alias Ballyniclogh, held by Chris[topher]. Arthur (Inq. Exch., Jas. I., 29; and Chan. 12b; see also C.S., xxix., p. 28). Fabric. - A fragment 8 feet [2.4m] thick to north of the house stood 1840 (O.S.L., 8, p. 395)'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 November 2020