Castle (in ruins) — Ballylusky (ardcrony Par.)

Situated on a low natural rise of rock outcrop in undulating countryside. Described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as the 'ruines of an old castle the walls onely standing' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 291). Richard Butler of Kilcash is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). This is a thirteenth or fourteenth-century hall-keep with a first-floor entrance with a later ground-floor doorway inserted along with a machicolation and a possible seventeenth-century house added to the SW wall. The present remains consist of a tall rectangular tower (ext. dims. 17m NW-SE; 11.3m NE-SW; wall T. 2.3m) two storeys high built with roughly coursed limestone rubble with a high base-batter. The later house (now destroyed) was attached to the SW wall of the tower and a tall round-arched doorway was inserted into the SW wall of the tower to give access to the house. The present entrance at ground-floor level in the centre of the NE wall is a later insertion and was protected by a machicolation directly above at wall-walk level. The original entrance, now converted into a window, is located at the E end of the NE wall at first-floor level. The floors were of wood carried in the thickness of the wall. The ground floor was lit by simple slit opes set into large round-arched embrasures while the first floor was lit by round-arched windows one each in the SW, NW and SE walls. A flat-headed doorway at first-floor level in the N angle gives access to a garderobe the outlet of which is visible in the N angle of the tower. Another flat-headed doorway also at first-floor level in the S angle gives access to a possible mural chamber. 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