Indicated — 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-) 50m 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…there is an orchard wth a Gardin within the bawne' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 8). Large, roughly rectangular bawn with fortified house (TS060-050001-) in the interior, west of centre. The round arched entrance (Wth 2.91m; H 3.2m), of cut limestone with hood-moulding, is roughly centrally placed in the N wall (T 0.8m; L c. 100m - the E end (c. 50m) is no longer visible above ground). There is a rectangular recess above the gateway which would have contained an armorial plaque or datestone. There is a double gun-loop on either side of the gateway. The gateway is no longer in use and a modern entrance (Wth 4.4m) has been broken through the bawn wall 3.7m to the E. At the NW angle there is a rectangular mural tower which projects out beyond the wall by 2.25-2.5m. The mural tower (ext. dims. 5.2m N-S and E-W along N wall; int. dims. 3.67m N-S; 3.62m E-W) is defended by two shot-holes at the NW angle. The W wall (H 3.7m; L 70.87m between NW and SW mural towers) is largely intact and has no visible features. A modern entrance (Wth 3.96m) has been broken though towards the S end and a house (L 17.66m) has been built onto the S end, which appears to be incorporating the bawn wall and a SW mural tower which is of similar dimensions to that on the NW angle (projects out from bawn wall by 2.13m and has an ext. L of 5.2m N-S). The S wall (L 77m) is largely intact and has no visible contemporary features, the E end (L 10.5m) is no longer visible above ground. A later doorway (Wth 0.8m) has been inserted towards the W end. Of the E wall (surviving L 57m) the N and S ends are not visible. A small stone farm building has been built onto the S end of the wall. It is likely that only the angle is missing at the S end and that the wall would have turned W and run diagonally across the interior of the present farm building to join with the S wall. There is a blocked doorway roughly midway along the E wall which is contemporary with the bawn (int. Wth 1.3m; ext. Wth 0.9m), with the lowest cut limestone surrounds surviving, chamfered externally. There are a number of later blocked openings along the northern portion of the E wall, including one which appears as a crudely reconstructed loop but is not original. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 09 July 2014