Castle — Ballygriffin (ballygriffin Par.)

On high ground on edge of flat ridge above the flood plain of the Multeen River to W and Ballygriffin church (TS060-049001-) and graveyard (TS060-049003-) 70m to the N. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) the proprietor in 1640 was 'Doctor Garrott ffennell Esqr Irish Papist' and 'Uppon these lands stands a castle wanting repayre wth a strong Bawne' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 8). In the interior, W of centre, of a large, roughly rectangular bawn (TS060-050002-). This building, which may have consisted of a central block with mural towers, has largely collapsed and all that remains visible is the NW tower of which the W wall (ext. L 5.15m) and partial return of the N and S wall (ext L c. 4 m) survive. It is constructed of limestone rubble, roughly coursed, with good quoins of block and start formation which are robbed towards the base and has a slight base-batter (H c. 4.7m; Wth 0.6m). There is a projecting string course c. 5m above present ground level, which continued onto the possible central block, though only a short length (L 0.5m; H 2.05m above built up ground surface; Wth 1.8m) of this return wall survives projecting southward from the S wall of the NW tower. Traces of the N wall (L 0.9m) of the main block are visible projecting eastward from the E face of the NW tower 1.48m N of the S wall of the angle tower. The tower is four or five storeys high with a parapet. Each storey has a large centrally placed window in the W wall, all within flat-headed embrasures. There are numerous gun-loops which are blocked internally and obsured externally by thick ivy cover. A doorway in the S wall at both second and third-floor levels connected the angle tower with the main block. The stepped crenellatons of the parapet have cut limestone coping stones which curve decoratively at the angles and are surmounted by a cut stone block. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 08 July 2014