Castle — Dunran Demesne

16th century castle known as Kiltimon Castle that was modified and converted into a sham castle in the 18th century when a walled garden was constructed around the medieval fortification (Corlett 2008, 50). Situated on a gentle S/SE-facing slope standing inside an 18th century circular walled garden. Rectangular structure (ext. dims. 12.5m NW-SE; 8m SW-NE; int. dims. 8.8m NW-SE; 4.8m SW-NE) built of mortared uncoursed granite and slate rubble. The walls are 1.55-2m thick with a base-batter on the NE and SE sides. There are two doorways, at the centre of the SE wall and at the S end of the NE wall. On the ground floor there are three plain niches and two windows in double-splayed opes in the SW wall with one double-splayed window in the NW wall. A straight intramural stairs (uneven and formed of rubble) opens from beside the NE door and rises through the SE wall to a landing which opens through a flat lintelled doorway onto the first-floor level which has a window (in a splayed ope) and a large niche in the NW wall. There is an intramural chamber in the S angle at this level. At second-floor level there is a single off-centre window in the NW wall. There are round corner towers rising from the roof level and simple crenellations along the top of all four walls. Both low gables survive. There are no corbels for wall-plates and no other evidence for supporting the floors. There is no cut stone in the structure and the window and door opes are built of uncoursed rubble. Corlett (2008, 47-70) suggests that the structure is likely to be a medieval castle which subsequently was converted into a folly. Described in the Ordnance Survey Letters of 1838-40 (O’Flanagan 1928, 86) as ‘an old Castle in Dunran townland 29 feet [8.5m] long, 16 feet [4.8m] broad and about 36 feet [11m] high; the walls 6 feet 3 inches [1.9m] thick. It is completely gutted, but the shell remains without the loss of a single stone, parapet, warders tower and all. It has a door in the east end, 9 feet four inches [2.8m] high, of which its sharp pointed arch makes three; and three feet nine inches [1.14m] wide. It has 8 windows in the walls all round, some of them glazed; beside several loopholes. This castle was in full habitable order at the time that Lord Cornwallis was Viceroy of Ireland, and that nobleman attended a grand ball that was given in this castle by the proprietor, Mr. Grogan. The passage to the top is through eastern end, but after you ascend to the first story you find it closed against you. The windows that give light to this passage are square within, and sharp pointed outside’. In 1933 Price (1933, 236) recorded that ‘in 1641 one of the O'Byrnes was still the proprietor, but I am unable to say whether he belonged to the same branch of the family or not; on the Cromwellian Settlement it was granted to Sir John Borlace. The castle is shown on the Down Survey map of 1652 as, a square keep with what appear to be beehive shaped huts standing near it, no doubt portion of a village. The keep is shown as standing on the top of a small hill. The old castle now standing in Dunran Demesne is in much the same position as that shown on the map of 1652, but it is not on a hill, but half way down a slope; and a careful examination of the style of building shows, I think, that it is not an old building. When O'Curry saw and described it in 1839 there were window frames and glass in the windows: otherwise it is in exactly the same condition now as then. I think it is extremely likely that Gen. Cuninghame, afterwards Lord Rossmore, who seems to have laid out Dunran Demesne about 1770, built an "imitation antique" castle to ornament his demesne, either on the site of the ruin of the original castle, or perhaps a little distance away ; it may have been up on the hill on the other side of the road which bounded his demesne’. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 16 November 2012 See linked document with plan of castle taken from Chris Corlett 2008 Kiltimon Castle - Medieval castle or modern folly?. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 138, 47-70.