Ardmayle Castle (in Ruins) — Ardmayle

On a platform on a break of a W-facing slope within a large bawn (TS052-034012-). The River Suir flows NE-SW 50m to the NW, in undulating pastureland. An earthwork 'Forte Edward' (TS052-034001-) is clearly visible c. 200m to the ESE. The Civil Survey (1654-6) describes this as 'a faire Mancon[i]n house with severall other small Cabbins, an oarchard & Garden' which in 1640 was under the proprietorship of 'Theobald Butler of Ardmayle Esqr. Irish Papist' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 245). According to the OS Letters the house was given to Col. Coote after the 1641 Rising (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 87). A three storey over basement fortified house with attic level, composed of limestone roughly coursed rubble with good survival of external harling. Only the N wall (ext. L 18.5m; T 1.1m) and the N end of the E (ext. L 6m; T 1.1m) and W (ext. L 7m; T 1.45m) walls survive. The W wall (H c. 5.6m; Wth c. 0.4m) and NW angle has a base-batter which does not continue along the N or E wall. The fenestration is very regular, with four flat-headed windows, all chamfered externally, at each each level in the N wall. The basement windows are single-lights with glazing-bar slots and bar-holes, the ground-floor windows are broken out and the masonry beneath robbed out. The windows at first, second and attic level are all, largely intact, three-light mullioned and transomed windows. Only the N side of the window embrasures in the gable walls at each floor level survive. There is some evidence of internal plaster in the NW angle at first and second-floor level and around the fireplace in the E wall. The basement has been built up almost to ground-floor level and has a fireplace in the NE angle. Put-logs for the timber floor at ground level are evident in the W wall and one in the E wall. At ground-floor level there is a fireplace in the E wall, the lintel, now gone, was supported on two limestone corbels. Put-logs for a timber floor at first-floor level are in the E and W wall with three larger beam-holes in the N wall. The first floor has a fireplace in the NE angle. The window embrasures at this level continue to the floor. The floor supports at second-floor level are slightly different in that there are tall narrow timber slots in the W wall, while the E wall has the more usual small squarish holes. At attic/dormer level the parapet is supported on a double corbel course of well-cut limestone corbels. There are shot-hole embrasures in recess in the parapet, also a recess between the E and E of centre window but no evidence of a shot-hole embrasure. Some of the coping stones at parapet level survive indicating the gables over the windows at attic level. There are water spouts between each window, at sill level, all three are broken off. Near the apex of the E gable there is a projecting square-sectioned, limestone string-course at the base of a rectangular chimney stack. The stack is surmounted by off-set chimneys with another projecting string-course at the base of the off-set chimneys. The coping stones of the roof are well-preserved on the N side of the gable, running down to a poorly preserved NW angle machicolation with shot-holes at attic level. The machicolation rested on two pyramidal corbels on each wall and an angle corbel which has broken off, a water spout projects out at the base of the machicolaton. There is a similar but well-preseved machicolation on the NE angle at attic level with a water spout projecting from the E exit. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011