House — 17th century in Ballygrennan (coshma By., Bruff Ed)

Early 17th century house built onto the W wall of a bawn (LI040-007001-) belonging to 16th century Ballygrennan Castle (LI040-007----) the tower of which stands a few metres to NE. Described by Leask (1973, 122) as 'this castle had an extensive walled bawn with a high, centrally placed tower of 16th-century date, with two courtyards bordered by high-gabled and chimneyed houses of later date'. Early 17th century house described by Salter (2004, 65) as, 'a house of c. 1600-20 added on this side there remain only the south end wall with a wing extending east of it and most of a wing projecting west adjoining the SW corner of the older tower. Walls were soon added to enclose a small back court with its own doorway west of the house and a SW corner bartizan, and a bawn 20m square was laid out to the east of the house. The ffox family seem to have lost Ballygrennan in 1621 , although they had recovered it by 1657. By then a large outer bawn 38m long by 26m wide had been added on the north side. It has a gateway facing north and corbels for a SE corner bartizan. Doorways were broken through from the lower levels of the tower to give access to an outbuilding filling the west end of this outer bawn, perhaps an addition by the Evans family, to whom the castle was sold in the 1660s. Fireplaces on the upper level suggest it was a stableblock with accommodation for grooms and servants above'. On Saturday 11 September 1690, the Journal of John Stevens gave the following account of Ballygrennan Castle; 'This morning we marched back three miles to Bruff, and with us the Horse Guards and Duke of Tyrconnel's Regiment of Horse. These last encamped in the gardens of a great house near Bruff belonging to one Evans, which, being very large and built after the manner of a castle with large stone walls and battlements, had been burnt by our army: the place was called Ballygrennan. All the Foot and the Horse Guards quartered in the town, which being but small they were much thronged, and to straighten our quarters a house accidentally took fire, and the wind being very high burnt down five or six others that contained a considerable number of men. All the morning whilst we were drawn up on the hill and marched, there continued a most violent storm of wind and rain, which cleared up when we came to Bruff but it fatigued us extremely on the march. All the country about Bruff is very pleasant, being a large valley and good land well peopled and improved. The town is small and has nothing in it worth observing. There was corn and cattle enough, plenty of cabbages in the gardens, and what was the great support of the people and soldiers, large fields of potatoes, yielding prodigious quantities of them, and all little enough considering the vast consumption, for they often serve instead of bread, and the soldiers would be feeding on them all the day’ (Murray 1912, 190). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 29 October 2020