Architectural feature in Shurock (clonlonan By.)

Shurock House now a ruinous building was the property of the Homan family who acquired this estate in the second half of the 17th century. An unusually tall three storey high ivy-covered tower standing in the middle of the S range of outbuildings to E of Shurock House contains three pointed windows incorporated into a single window embrasure at second floor level in the N and S faces of the tower. This tower appears to predate the range of outbuildings into which it is incorporated but does not appear to be medieval in date. It is possible that the tower and the windows may date from the 17th century but examination of the windows is impossible due to the dense cover of ivy on the building. The windows may be medieval in date and may have been taken from a nearby medieval church (WM030-045001-) at Labaun now Mount Temple. An Early Christian cross-inscribed slab (WM030-046----) had been taken from Labaun and temporarily kept at Shurock before being returned to the graveyard (WM030-045----) at Labaun. In the mid 1900s Harold Leask described this tower as 'between two ranges of farm building is an old tower which is portion of an old castle' (SMR file). It is possible that this tower was part of a late 17th century bawn which was later replaced by Shurock in the 18th century. However the upstanding remains of the tower do not appear to be any earlier than the late 17th century and are more likely to date from the 18th century. The windows are impossible to examine due to the dense cover of ivy. According to Leask they were a 'three light window of rough work and no cut stone' (SMR File). See attached sketch of tower and window drawn by Harold Leask taken from SMR file. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 05 August 2014