Castle (in Ruins) — Ballykine Lower

Built on terrace on E slope of rocky ridge, in dense forestry. House with later additions of tower house and defensive features. Entrance to ground-floor through later doorway, placed directly in front of original doorway; contains two rooms (4.2m x 5.2m; 2.1m x 5.2m) with N room once covered by vault supported by dividing wall. Blocked up entrances on either end of N room. Mural stairs in later W wall leads to 1st-floor and wall-walk. Main chamber lighted by large arched windows in each gable (N and S), with rectangular windows on other walls. Three buttresess connected by two wicker-centered arches, carrying wall-walk and parapet, built against external face of E wall. Tower of three storeys with wall-walk and parapet, a later addition to S gable. Entrance to 1st-floor through doorway in 1st-floor of house. Ground-floor used as basement. 2nd-floor walls corbelled internally and externally to accomodate mural stairs to wall-walk. The above description has been derived from D. Lavelle (compiler), An Archaeological Survey of Ballinrobe and District including Lough Mask and Lough Carra. Lough Mask and Lough Carra Tourist Development Association (1994), No. 705. Date of upload: 15 October 2014