Desmonds Castle (in ruins) — Adare

National monument No. 622. Adare Castle described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 3-15) as following: 'Desmond castle is situated on low-lying ground on the north bank of the Maigue river just above Adare bridge. It is in poor condition and is heavily overgrown. It consists of a sub-rectangular enclosure, measuring about 90m E-W by 65m N-S externally, with the north-west corner cut off by a water-filled moat to form a rounded inner ward measuring 33.5m E-W by 31.5m N-S. Both inner and outer wards are surrounded by curtain walls, which are virtually intact, and both are entered through rectangular gatehouses. At the east side of the inner ward is a large square keep of 13th century date, as is much of the curtain wall. Along the south side of the outer ward, fronting the river, is a range of buildings possibly of later medieval date, while much of the outer curtain on the north and east may also be of later medieval date. The masonry of all structures is predominantly of roughly coursed limestone rubble. THE OUTER WARD This is entered through a gatehouse on the west side and consists of an L-shaped space with buildings along the south range. The Gatehouse This is rectangular, measuring 6m E-W by 5m N-S and is about 8.5m high. It has two floors with a parapet above; there is a base batter on the north and west sides. The entrance is a large round arched opening, in the west wall, c. 4m high and 2.3m wide, rising to a height of c. 5.5m behind. Two holes flanking the top of the arch externally may indicate the former presence of a drawbridge; a portcullis groove is present. In the east wall the round arch is c. 5.m high and 3.2m wide. The passage had a timber ceiling, carried on ledges in the north and south walls. At first floor level there are splayed rectangular loops, now blocked, in the east and west walls. Above first floor level is a wall walk with crenelated parapet. South of the gatehouse, on the east side, is a wall c. 3m high which seems to be bonded into the gatehouse. There are no openings in the wall and the ground level of the space between it and the curtain wall to the west is c. 2.50m above ground level of the outer ward. The function of this enclosed space and its exact relation to the gatehouse is unclear. The West Hall Both the curtain wall and the inner wall south of the gatehouse were interrupted by the later insertion of the western-most building of the south range: a rectangular hall-like structure, 20m E-W by 11m N-S, of two floors with wall walk around a gabled roof. The east gable is almost intact, c. 9m high, but with the exception of the N return, the west wall is missing above ground floor level. The north and south walls stand to their full height of 6.5m but most of the parapet above them is missing. The ground floor is entered through a doorway with a modern segmental arch but having its original pivot stone and bar holes. In the south wall are three splayed loops: that on the west is a restoration. Around the base of the north, south and east walls, internally, a more recent facing of masonry, up to c: 1.5m high and 40-50cm thick, has been built on, while the interior is divided into three parts by N-S and E-W partition walls. These are later additions. The first floor was entered, presumably from an external stairs, through a doorway in the north wall directly above the ground floor door; it is also restored. The floor was supported on rafters carried in putlog holes inserted into the north and south walls. In the north wall, east of the doorway, are two large windows. One has lost its mouldings and now has a modern arch but was probably similar to the other which is a twin-light round headed window with elaborate sandstone jambs. Each light is outlined by a bold roll-moulding with a hollow outside and the window is framed at the base by a horizontal roll-moulding which continues across to the other window. However much of the mouldings are modern restorations. Internally both windows have segmental rear arches with chamfered limestone jambs, probably modern. In the east wall is a twin-light round headed window and in the south wall are two more with window seats. All have plain chamfered sandstone jambs -largely restored- and segmental rear arches, of dressed sandstone in the east wall, and of chamfered limestone in the east window in the south wall and of sandstone with a bold roll moulding outlining the arch and sides of the west window in the south wall. In the west wall is a single-light rectangular window with chamfered limestone jambs and segmental rear arch. Above the first floor there was a wall-walk and parapet on each side, but this only survives at the east end, where two rectangular loops flank the east gable. "Water Tower" Projecting south from the West Hall is a rectangular tower, probably originally of three floors with wall-walk above. It seems to be built onto the west hall; its south-west angle has dressed limestone quoins above ground floor level suggesting that the 1st and 2nd floors may be additions. Only the south-west angle stands to its full height of c. 5.50m; the south-east angle is totally missing while the remainder of the east and west walls are 2.5-3.5m high. The tower was entered on the north through an opening in the south wall of the west hall, and the ground floor is lit by splayed rectangular loops in the east and west walls; the east loop has a segmental rear arch but the west loop lacks its rear arch. At the south end of the tower, which projects into the river, is a channel c. lm wide through which the river flows emerging from the west wall through a segmentally arched opening. Above this channel, at first floor level, is a garderobe. The west wall has a splayed, flat lintelled' loop at first floor level and a large window (whose form is obscured by ivy) probably with window seats, at second floor level. On the south wall internally is a ledge c. 30cm wide between 1st and 2nd floor levels. The East Hall Some 14.5m east of the West Hall is a large rectangular building of one floor, measuring c. 32.25m by 13.9m externally. The west gable stands to its full height of c.9m and is apparently featureless, although heavily overgrown. The south wall stands to full height of c. 4m and. Contains five openings. These are, from east to west: (1) an unsplayed segmental-arched opening, (2) a tall pointed doorway with segmental rear arch (probably modern) and bar-holes in the unsplayed reveals, (3-4) two crude twin-light pointed windows without any dressed jambs, with segmental rear arches; (5) a twin-light cusped ogee-headed window with chamfered limestone jambs and segmental rear arch, which according to Hewson (1897-1900, 44-45) came originally from the parish church. Externally there are three buttresses and angle buttresses at the SE and SW corners. The north wall stands to its full height of c. 4m at the west end, but it is mostly broken down. Near the east end is a parallel-sided doorway, presumably the main entrance with external porch of which only the overgrown footings survive. There are also five external buttresses. The east end of the hall is separated from the rest by a north-south wall and is divided into rectangular chambers lying north and south of a central passage. It is entered from the main chamber of the hall through doorways in the east wall, which lack their arches but have bar-holes in the reveals. All the walls at the east end are now only footings, 1-1m high and overgrown. Dunraven's plan also shows four large internal piers at the west end of the hall, but no trace of these survives. Other Buildings in the South Range Between the east and west halls there are traces of other buildings. Dunraven's plan shows a well and oven against the curtain wall, and traces of east-west crossing walls at the north end of the area between the halls. None of these features are visible at present, but towards the west end of the curtain wall there is a gable lin