Togher Castle — Lackagh More

Marked on first edition of OS 6-inch map as 'Togher Castle' and later changed to 'Togher Monastery'. Situated on a slight rise in undulating countryside with tower house (OF006-031001-) to N. Ivy clad remains of a rectangular tower house (ext. dims 13.1m N-S; 11.5m E-W) which is presently two storeys high built with rubble limestone with slight evidence of a base batter. Original door located on the S wall now totally destroyed from which was accessed a guard room in the SE angle now destroyed with musket loop as only evidence of its existence, and spiral stairs in SW angle which gave access to first floor. Also accessed from the door was the ground floor which consists of two rooms running N-S with vaulted roofs, the E room gave access to a mural staircase in the E wall which accessed the first floor. The W room was the larger room with both rooms containing large wall niches and projecting corbels. The first floor is now in poor condition with only the E half surviving. Mural passage along the E wall runs in a northwards direction and is accessed by a destroyed door and four steps leading down into the passage. This mural passage has two small slit opes with round heads on the E wall with a slop stone under one of them. This passage gives access to a garderobe which has a rectangular outlet on the E end of the N wall. An adjoining room to the W contained a second passage which also has an outlet at E end of N wall. This tower house is unusual in its ground floor plan is divided by two barrel vaulted chambers and has two stairs leading to the first floor with two adjoining garderobes. Probable late medieval Tower house. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011