Castle (in ruins) — Ballyartella (monsea Par.)

The tower house stands on a low rise of ground overlooking the fording point (TN014-057005-) of the Nenagh River marked today by Ballyartella Bridge (TN014-057004-). A possible medieval mill site (TN014-057006-) was located 19m to the NE, with fishing weir (TN014-057007-) on the Nenagh River to the E. Only a short stretch of the ivy covered E wall (H. c. 6m; L. 3.6m) remains upstanding of a poorly preserved rectangular shaped tower house (approx. ext. dims. 9m N-S; 10m E-W). The wall displays a slight base batter and is built with coursed rubble limestone. A grass covered mound covers the remaining collapsed walls of the castle. The springing arch-stones of a stone vaulted ground floor can be seen rising from the internal face of the E wall. A straight joint is visible in the inner face of the E wall at first floor level. A straight face at the N end of the E wall may indicate location of spiral stairs in NE angle. The wall return at S end of E wall appears to mark SE angle of tower house. No doorway or window features visible in upstanding wall of castle. In 1539 Phillip O'Kennedy, captain of his nation, granted to James Butler, son of the Earl of Ormond the 'castle of Balyartely in the parish of Achanithomays, with a plowland near the castle and half the plowlands in the said parish, and all the accustomed services, viz. eleven turbaries and eight horsemen, paying twelve marks to the creditors (Curtis 1937, 187)'. In 1556, Thomas, Earl of Ormond, granted to Theodoric son of Odo I Kynnedegh (Kennedy) Dunne and his brother Eugene the ‘castle of Balyartyla (Ballyartella) with two carucates of land as he shall find most convenient in the territory of Achamicthomas’ (Curtis 1941, 92). In 1585, the Earl of Ormond granted all rents, duties, customs and services which ‘Owen O’Kennedy, otherwise called O’Kennedy Don, late of Ballyartile (Ballyartella) in Ormond, had and enjoyed in Lower Ormond to have and to hold to said Brien and his assigns during the will and pleasure of the Earl, paying one good beast at or before the feast of the Nativity. Brien to serve in his best armour and furniture of war whenever required’ (Curtis 1943, 20-1). In 1589, there is a reference to ‘Piers Duffe fitz Richard Butler of Ballihartely (Ballyartella) (Curtis 1943, 41). In 1591, Moreghe O’Kennedy of Dromnemehan (Drumnamahane), chief of his nation, relinquished his claims to the Earl of Ormond on ‘all his right and interest in the lordship manor, castle etc., of the territory called Aghemcthomas and the parish of Askean, and also in all his lands and hereditaments in the castles, towns and fields of Dromnenrye (Dromineer), Ballyartely (Ballyartella), Dromnemehan (Drumnamahane) and Uskean (Uskane)’ (Curtis 1943, 47). The castle was described in the Civil Survey of 1654-56 as 'a ruined castle irrepayreably demolished two mills (TN014-057006-), a fishing weaire (TN014-057007-) two thatcht houses six cottages & a garden plott' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 301). The Countess of Ormond was listed as the proprietor of the lands of Ballyartella in 1640 (ibid.). 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. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 16 December 2015