Ballynamona Castle (Site of) — Ballynamona (smallcounty By., Hospital Ed)

In 1826 the following account was given about Ballynamona Castle; 'On the banks of a small river which covers the road from Herbertstown to Hospital are the ruins of a church (LI032-095002-) and castle. We find that a Raleigh was a proprietor of this castle in reign of Charles II' (Fitzgerald 1826, 306). Westropp (1906-7, 184-5) incorrectly identified the castle standing to the W of Ballynamona Church as Ballynamona Beg Castle (LI032-166----). The 1654-7 Down Survey parish map shows Ballinamona More Castle stood in the area to the W of the church while Ballinamona Beg Castle stood to the SSE in the present townland of Castlefarm. Westropp recorded the following historic details on Ballynamona More Castle; '1583 Jas. ffoxe held the land (Des. R., 33b); the C[astle]. was held by J. Browne; the next year by Sir E. Fitton (Inq. Exch., 19); by N. Haward, 1607; by Edm. Baggott and D. O'Grady in 1609-10; the latter held one third of the C[astle]. with the loft and half the cellar (Pat. R., and Inq. Chan., 191). 1655 It was held by Ed., Ric, and Maur. Rawly (C.S., xxxi., p. 22). Fabric - It stood near the west wall of the graveyard (LI032-095003-), but was levelled before 1840'. Tower House like castle depicted on the 1654-7 Down Survey map of Ballynamona parish map (NLI, MS 718). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Edmond Rawly, Richard Rawly and Morrish Rawly were the owners of the lands on Ballynamonamore and Ballincurra on which there stood a 'decayed Castle, ten cabins & a Mill Seate' (Simington 1938, 110). Castle ruins described by O'Kelly (1943, 178) as following; 'It is not now possible to trace the foundations of this castle. Only one small angle of masonry which seems to have fallen from some upper portion of the building remains to mark the site'. See attached Down Survey map showing the castle of Ballinamona More. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 26 February 2020