Knockainy Castle (in ruins) — Knockainy West

One of two castles (LI032-141002-) in the village of Knockainy, depicted as a tower house type structure on the 1654-7 Down Survey map of Knockainy parish annotated 'White Castle' (NLI MS 718). Annotated 'Knockainy Castle' on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. According to the Ordnance Survey name Books this castle was built by Matthew O'Grady, steward to the Earl of Desmond in the year 1500 and had fallen into decay around 1700 AD and in 1840 was the residence of a weaver (OSNB, Knockainey Parish). The Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 179-81) recorded the following about Knockainy Castle also known as 'White Castle'; 'This 15th/16th century four storeyed tower house is built of coursed limestone masonry with limestone window and door jambs. The masonry is roughly dressed internally as well as externally and there is a basal batter on all walls. It is partly overgrown with ivy and the roof and wall-walk are missing. There is a pointed barrell vault over the third floor but the remaining floors (which would have been of wood) are missing. The entrance, on the east, is through a pointed door with a yet hole in the jamb, recesses for a bar, hanging eye, a spud stone for the door, and a murder hole above. There is a small vaulted chamber to the south, lit by narrow flat lintelled windows splayed internally and externally, and a stairwell, with spiral stairs lit by narrow slits, in the north-east angle. The chamber was lit from north and south by narrow flat lintelled slits set in wide embrasures. The south one is now partly blocked but had a wall cupboard in the east splay, and may have functioned at some period as a fireplace as there is a flue in the arch above, while the north one is rebuilt as a modern doorway. There is a wall cupboard in the east end of the south wall and there are low round arched recesses in the north and west walls. Entrance to the first floor, which has two chambers, is through a shouldered (Carnarvon) door. The main chamber has a round barrel vault over the east end; the reminder of the room having a timber roof. This room was lit from the south by a flat lintelled window set in a wide embrasure which may have had window seats. It would also appear to have been re-used as a fireplace since there is a flue in the south-west corner of the window arch and the window is partly blocked. A similar window occurs in the west wall and a door in the south splay provides access to a garderobe chamber. This chamber has a ledge in the wall over the garderobe for a wooden seat. The north wall has a wall-cupboard in the west end and a single-light ogee-headed window with rounded rear arch with wicker-work centering. The small chamber on the east is entered through a shouldered door; it has a pointed barrell vault and is lit from the east and south by splayed flat lintelled slits. The second floor also has two chambers. The east chamber is lit from the east and south by narrow ogee-headed windows with flat, rear arches and recessed undecorated spandrels. There is a wall cupboard in the south end of the east wall. The west chamber which is the larger room was lit from the south west and north by similar windows with wall cupboards in the west end of the north and south walls. The third floor is approached via the spiral stairs and a flat lintelled passage which runs through the thickness of the north and west walls. The passage was lit by splayed flat lintelled slits and had single and double gun loops and a wall cupboard. The third floor also has two chambers on different levels. That on the east is unroofed and was lit from east and south by splayed, probably twin-light, windows. Mullions and arches are missing. The west chamber was reached by an internal wooden stairs from the east chamber. It was lit from the south a by a flat arched window but this is covered by ivy'. Westropp (1906-7, 432) recorded the following details about Knockainy Castle; 'It had three stories, the lowest vaulted, 22 feet [6.7m] by 13½ feet [4m] inside, 40 feet [12.2m] high, with walls 7 feet [2.1m] thick. 300 yards to the east was the "Court" (LI032-141002-) of the Earls lying to the south of the river. Tradition says it was built by the Earl's steward, Matthew O'Grady, while Desmond was abroad. (Dowd 1896, 88 ; O.S.L., 9, p. 269 ; and FitzGerald, vol. i., 307). This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 50/1937). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 April 2019