Gormanstown Castle (in ruins) — Gormanstown (grady)

Situated on grassland immediately W of a stream and 110m W of the Morningstar River. On the 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map the castle building is shown standing in the N quadrant of a woodland plantation. No surface remains visible today of castle site on Digital Globe aerial photographs. Castle depicted standing beside the river on the 1654-57 Down Survey map of Atheneasy parish (NLI, Ms 718). Gormanstown Castle described by Westropp (1906-7, 184) as following; '1574 Pardon to Edm. Fox, alias Boskagh, of Gormanstown (Fi. 2472). 1583 Ballygorman, alias Gormanstown, in Poblebuskagh, alias Foxe's country, Jas. ffoxe (Des. R., 3b ; Peyton, p. 11). It was held by the same family till 1655; Gormanstown, decayed C[astle], Edm. ffox. (C.S., xxxi., p. 13). Fabric - It stands beside the Morning Star River; and measures 17½ feet [5.3m] by 8 feet [2.4m] inside; walls, 3 feet 9 inches [1.14m] thick. Two doors to the east and west, the latter carved with crosses and circles. It is 24 feet [7.3m] high, and has the lower room vaulted (O.S.L., 8, p. 275).' The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Edmond Ffox of Bulgaden possessed in the townlands of Adamstown and Gormanstown, 'two decayed Castles [LI040-167-] 12 Cabbins & a Mill Seat upon it' (Simington 1938, 102). Castle remains described in 1942-3 as, 'Only a fragment of the west wall of this castle remains' (O'Kelly 1943, 170). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 February 2020