Castle in ruins) — Drangan More

Just below crest of gentle NE-facing hillock in undulating terrain, under pasture. Ground sloping gradually to NE. Farmyard located immediately N of former castle. At E end of these buildings a deep sileage pit has been dug into the hillock. No visible trace above ground. The Civil Survey (1654-6) (Simington 1934, vol.2, 15) refers to 'James oge Butler of Kilveligher Esq Irish Papist' as the owner in 1640 and describes on his lands 'a demolished burnt castle adjoining to the River Shewir wanting repayre'. The OS Letters describe Kilmoyler Castle (TS075-009001-) which was standing in c. 1840. This may in fact be the castle in Drangan More as there is no map record of a castle in Kilmoyler on the 1st (1840) ed. OS 6-inch map and the castle at Drangan is locally known as Kilmoyler Castle. The entry reads, 'It measures twenty seven and three quarter feet [c. 8.5m] by about thirty two feet [c. 9.7m] on the outside; its dimensions on the inside cannot well be determined in consequence of the collection of rubbish which lies about its walls. The north wall remains to the height of about thirty four feet [c. 10.3m]; the west wall is now about fifteen feet high [c.4.5m]; and of the other walls about ten or twelve feet [c. 3-3.6m] in height remain. There is a pointed doorway on the north wall near the western end. The walls are three feet three inches [c. 1m] in thickness and grouted. Large detached fragments of this building lie scattered about it. About twenty eight yards to the east of the Castle, there is a portion of the walls of a building which seems to have had some connection with it. There is a tradition that a William Burke, who had twenty one sons, built castles for each of them along the River Suire from Ballygriffin to Ardfinnan, and that Kilmoyler is one of them.' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 64 (194-5)). Two visible fragments from the castle survive. A portion of a limestone water spout which had been incorporated in a stone wall in the farmyard and a limestone block with a chamfered edge incorporated in the N face of the stone outbuilding to E. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011