Ballyvorneen Ho. — Ballyvorneen (clanwilliam By.)

In farmyard complex. Castle and bawn recorded here in Civil Survey belonging to MacClancy family (Donnelly 1994, vol. 2, 47). Some remains of a tower house (11.5m x 9m) that had been lowered in height and converted into a thatched two-storey dwelling survived here in 1990 though by then much ruined (ibid.). This has since been demolished and a farm shed now stands on the site. Westropp (1906-7, 100) incorrectly suggested that this may have been the castle mentioned in 1586 as 'Beale Ruffyn C[astle]. in Monasterio Wony', although this reference relates to an unlocated castle within the townland of Ballyvorheen (LI007-011----). Tower house type castle with two storey house attached to one side depicted at this location on the Down Survey map of Clanwilliam Barony (Hib. Reg.). The castle is depicted in a similar fashion on the Down Survey map of Caherconlish parish (NLI, MS 718). Ballyvorneen House may be the two storey house added on to the side of the tower house in the 17th century as depicted on the Down Survey parish map of Caherconlish (ibid.). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Connor Clancie [Clancy] of Ballybricken, an Irish Papist was the owner of the lands of Ballyvorneen which contained 'a lardge Castle bawen and orchard' (Simington 1938, 68). Westropp (1906-7, 95) recorded the following details about Ballyvorneen Castle; 'Not marked in 1840, but appears at the modern house on the new maps. 1651-54 Ric. Kirle paid for "hey" for the horses of the garrison of Ballvorneene (Acct. R. 7b). 1655 Held by Conor Clancie. Shown as a strong tower, with large gabled wing attached, "a very fair C[astle], in good repair" (C.S., xxi., p. 16 D.S.A., 14, 18, exp.). 1667 Confirmed to J. Maunsell (Act Sett.)'. Ballyvorneen House described by the Ordnance Survey Name Books for the parish of Caherconlish as following; 'This house, the property of the Gabbetts, is now occupied by a tenant. It is 2 story high, of a decayed appearance, and was rebuilt some time ago on the site of an old castle, the seat of Clancey, one of the chieftains of old' (OSNB). This house was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a 'Detached two-storey house, built c. 1700, on site of c. 1100 castle. Pitched slate roof with chimneystack on west gable. Rendered walls. Square-headed window openings. Multiple-bay single-storey outbuilding to site with pitched slate roof, rendered walls, loop openings, square-headed openings and segmental-arched openings' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; NIAH Reg. No. 21902318). See attached Down Survey images of Ballyvorneen Castle Compiled by: Denis Power Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 16 June 2020