Ballyfinboy Castle (in Ruins) — Ballyfinboy

Situated on a low rise of natural rock outcrop in low-lying pastureland with Ballyfinboy River to the N. A rectangular tower (ext. dims. 11.4m E-W; 9.35m N-S; wall T 2.15m) four storeys high, built with roughly coursed limestone rubble, with base-batter evident. The centre of the W wall and most of the third floor is destroyed. The main entrance is located at the centre of the E wall and consists of a two-centred arch with chamfered, punch-dressed jamb stones with stop chamfers visible. There is a yett-hole in the S jamb of the doorway. The lobby, protected by a murder-hole directly inside the main entrance, gives access to spiral stairs in the SE angle and a guard room in the NE angle. A series of small chambers orientated on a N-S axis are located over lobby. The ground floor is accessed from the lobby via a two-centred doorway and is lit by narrow single-light slit opes with pivot holes visible. The sillstones of the windows are rebated to allow the wooden shutter to sit into the base of the window to prevent draughts. Joist-holes for a wooden ceiling are visible over the ground and first floors with a barrel vault over the second floor. All chambers above the first floor were accessed from the spiral stairs. A mural passage in the S wall at first-floor level gives access to a destroyed garderobe in the SW angle, the chute of which is still visible. There is a large destroyed fireplace in the N wall also at first floor level. Destroyed garderobes occupy the SW angles at second and third-floor levels. The second floor is accessed via a double door off the spiral stairs with the inside door opening from the main chamber. Windows consist of simple slit opes with flat and round heads with single-light ogee-headed window with hollowed terminals in NE angle. There is a sheela-na-gig (TN010-005002-) on the external face of a SE quoinstone. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008