What is recorded here
Lissava Castle stands as a ruined stump on high ground in a deserted Tipperary farmyard, its two-metre-thick walls surviving only to first-floor level after centuries of neglect. Thomas, Lord Baron of Cahyr, owned the land in the mid-17th century when the structure was already reduced to a shadow of its former self. A slender corbel still projects from the eastern wall, waiting for a wooden floor that vanished long before the ivy swallowed the southern corner.
On high, level ground in deserted farmyard. Farm buildings are ruinous and largely overgrown. Surrounded by rough pasture. In the mid-17th century the land was in the ownership of 'Thomas, Lord Baron of Cahyr. Irish Papist' and upon the land stood 'the stump of a Castle' (Simington 1931, vol.1, 352). The castle (int. dims. 9.8m N-S; wall T 2m) is located on the N side of the farmyard and is aligned NNW-SSE. It is constructed of rubble limestone and sandstone, randomly coursed, with a base-batter at the NE angle. Only the E wall (ext. L c. 13.7m) and portion of N (ext. L 6.6m; H c. 5m) and S wall survive up to first-floor level. A lean-to shed has been built up against the E side with internal concrete division. N and E wall of shed are stone, S end with door and window (both missing) are in concrete wall. There are no features visible in the E wall of the castle in this section of the shed. Evidence of later internal lean-to at N end of E wall of castle. A corbel projects out from the N end of the E wall internally, incised with diagonal line tooling. It is well shaped and quite slender and would have supported a wooden floor. The NE quoins are missing and the SE quoins also appear to be missing though this angle is heavily obscured by ivy. The window in the E end of the N wall appears to be a later insert. Externally it is c. 2.2m from NE angle and 1.5m above ext. ground level. It consists of horizontal window (L 0.35m; H 0.19m) with crudely cut limestone surrounds and two bar-holes on both lintel and sill.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Built or held in the mid-17th century by Thomas, Lord Baron of Cahyr, an Irish peer. The site is historically significant as a marker of early aristocratic landholding in the region.
The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.
- What survives
- Recorded monument
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