Ballysakeery Castle — Ballysakeery

In pasture, on a bluff overlooking the W shoreline of the River Moy estuary. The bluff is bordered at N by a cliff face dropping to the shore immediately, and to E–SE by a steep fall into small N-S ravine, which channels a stream into the estuary. There are extensive views to N over the estuary and Killala Bay, and to S over sharply undulating grassland. This castle is shown as a rectangular building (8-10m NE-SW; 5-6m NW-SE), named ‘Ballysakeery Castle’ on the 1838 OS 6-inch map. On the 1929 OS 6-inch edition it is indicated as ‘Ballysakeery Castle (Site of)’ and the ‘Site of’ symbol is shown in the S half of an oval hachured area (30m N-S; 23m E-W). The 1838 OS Letters record that it originally belonged to the Barrett family, and later to the Burkes, and that ‘no part of its walls are now standing’ (O’Flanagan 1927, 58). There are few traces now visible at ground level. The outline of a rectangular building is visible as a slightly raised area (7.4m NW–SE; 13m NE–SW) defined by a low sod-covered stone bank/wall (Wth c. 1.6m-c. 2m; int. H 0.35-0.5m; ext. H 0.6-0.8m). There is a gap (Wth c. 2m) at the S end of the NW wall, and a break or eroded section (Wth 2.5-3m) at the S end of the SE wall. The NE wall appears to coincide with a natural rocky scarp, but this is largely masked by a splayed stony slump spreading for c. 2m to N beyond the NE wall. Immediately to W of the building, level ground extends to W-NW for 12m to a natural rising slope, partly quarried away and now cloaked in brambles. A sod-covered stony bank/wall (Wth c. 2.2m; int. H 0.45m; ext. H 0.7m), located 10m to NE of the building, encloses the head of the bluff where it overlooks the stream ravine. The bank/wall curves from the edge of the bluff at SSE in a shallow curve to W and then ends at the cliff edge, overlooking the estuary, at NNE. The enclosed area (22m NNE–SSW; 22.7m WNW–ESE), is rather undulating and uneven but there are no obvious remains of any structures, and no entrance gap is evident. It is unclear if this formed part of the castle precinct or is merely a later field enclosure. There is a mill (MA022-099----) in a small ravine immediately to S, a church (MA022-055001-) and graveyard (MA022-055002-) c. 50m to S, and a rath (MA022-056----) c. 200m to SE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 May 2019