Ballyglasheen Castle (in ruins) — Ballyglasheen (kilsheelan Par.)

According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 273) the proprietor in 1640 was 'Dorothy Shea the Relict of Henry Shea of Kilkenny deceased gent Robt. Shea of Kilkenny the heire. Irish Papist....The said Dorothy Shea Proprietrix of the said lands of Ballyglissen as her dower in right of her husband Henry Shea decd. John Grove an English Protestant was tennt. of this fearme in 1640 but for what tearme or at what rent wee know not. Uppon the said lands stands a small castle not in good repaire and severall thatcht Cabbins'. The description of the house in the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 60) mentions that the house was 'lighted by fourteen windows all constructed of cut limestone and divided, some into two, some into three and some into four compartments'. Most of the windows have been widened or altered but as no reference is made to this in the OS Letters it would imply that these changes were made post 1840. Some of the windows retain traces of their external hood-mouldings. Situated on level ground, however, land rises NW of fortified house. Bungalow to W and 19th-century farm buildings to NE and S. Late, probably 19th-century, wall (H 3.1m) runs SW from SW gable. Farm building abuts SW face of fortified house near S angle. Farmyard is enclosed by a stone wall which is possibly the bawn (TS078-047002-) contemporary with the fortified house. The fortified house is a rectangular building (ext. dims. 14.5m NE-SE; 9.73m NW-SE) with a semi-circular stair turret projecting from the N angle and is composed of limestone rubble, randomly coursed. External lime render with high pebble content, later than first phase of building. Building is three storeys with attic with cut limestone quoins and high gradual base-batter (H 3.1m; Wth 0.2m). All floors throughout were wooden, carried on slight off-sets. Typical of a house of this period there is no garderobe. All the internal and external render, and internal partitions, appear to date from a secondary phase of occupation, probably in the 19th century. The house was entered through a doorway, now broken-out, at the N end of the NW wall. Remains of murder-hole above doorway which appears to have been accessed from wall cupboard on the N side of the window embrasure at first-floor level. Remains of drawbar-slot on W side of doorway (L c. 1.35m) to broken out doorway. A wall projects out from NE wall which would have formed the internal wall of the lobby. In the lobby there are the remains of an internal doorway projecting from NW wall which would have provided access to the stair turret in the N angle. The ground floor was lit by several windows, all of which have been broken-out or altered, at S and E end of SE wall, in the centre of the NW wall and possibly in the SW wall where a large doorway has been inserted. The horizontal ope in the NW wall has a gun-loop with separate embrasure on either side of the window. Immediately S of the window in the SE wall there is a thin break in the plaster which suggests shadow of former internal partition.Large fireplace at the E end of the NE wall, with missing, possibly wooden lintel. A smaller brick flue has been inserted into the original flue. The first floor was entered from the spiral stairs, the original doorway being enlarged. E of the doorway on the NE wall by 1.2m and N of it on the NW wall by 1.7m there is a division visible in the thick internal lime plaster which suggests an internal, wooden partition lobby at first-floor level. The first floor was lit by a large, broken-out, window at the E end of the SE wall and centrally placed in this wall a large three-light window. This window's embrasure was originally lower but was infilled. Towards the S end of the SE wall a small fireplace has been inserted into an earlier opening. Other windows include a two-light window towards the S end of the SW wall with a slight vertical groove in plaster immediately W of the embrasure suggesting an internal partition. Immediately W of this, where render has been removed, the lower surrounds of fireplace are visible. The NW wall contains two windows, a possible two-light towards the W end and a single-light at the N end with a wall cupboard in the N wall of the latter which also contained the recess for the murder-hole. There is another fireplace in the SE wall, with remains of its original chamfered limestone lintel with chamfer, again it was later reused and narrowed with brick insertions. The second floor was entered through a pointed doorway from the spiral stairs. This floor is partially obscured by ivy, however, it appears to have been lit by at least seven windows, one in the NE and SW walls, three in the SE wall and two in the NW wall. Towards the S end of the SE wall there are the remains of a polished limestone fireplace, flat-lintelled with chamfer which has been blocked-up and rendered. The attic level was entered through a flat-headed doorway off the spiral stairs. E of this there is a very narrow high doorway which gives access to a stairs to the top of the turret and the parapet. At the E end of the wall there is a single-light window, the roof rises directly above this with some slates still in situ and coping of roof visible in gable. These appear to belong to a later roof as the original roofline continued above this and appears to have been steeper in profile. The attic was lit by three single-light windows, one in the NE gable, blocked internally, one in the centre of the NW wall and one on the S side of the SW gable. Chimney at apex of SW gable. At attic level there is a machicolation over the doorway, supported on pair of two large curving corbels, c. seven courses high, including base stone. The spiral stairs was lit by a single-light window between each floor. Above the first-floor doorway the stairs have been broken out. Gun-loops in the turret are visible externally between the second floor and attic. The turret is partially covered by a flat wooden roof. At parapet level there is a circular bartizan on the S angle supported at the angle by a single corbel and on either face by three corbels. The bartizan is open floored, now partially blocked with slate. Wall of bartizan survives approx. four courses above base stone. Five of original six gutter-spouts survive, two immediately E of the bartizan, two centrally placed and two at E end. It is possible that there were two gables on this wall where the gutter-spouts are absent. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011