What is recorded here

Reenavanny Castle stands as a ruined tower house on a rock outcrop at the northeast end of Whiddy Island, preserving the southwest wall to second-floor level and a stone-lined guardrobe chute. Built for the O Sullivan Bear, the structure lost much of its mass during the gales of 1920, leaving behind joist holes and a lintelled window opening. The sea and wind have stripped the base batter and collapsed the upper rooms, reducing a fortified home to a weathered skeleton that still marks the island's edge.

Built on rock outcrop at NE end of Whiddy Island. SW side of tower house (10.7m NW-SE; 8.6m NE-SW) remains. SW wall survives to 2nd floor level; short return (0.6m) of SE wall at ground level; NW wall survives to ground-floor level. Remains of lintelled window ope and one side of doorway in NW wall. Three horizontal rows of joist holes, c. 1m above the other, on inner SW face; stone-lined guardrobe chute exposed at first-floor level. Base batter around external walls removed. Castle of O Sullivan Bear; much of it collapsed during gales of 1920. (O Murchadha 1985, 304). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009 Images provided by and copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/

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