Site of Millmount Castle, Castle Field

Westropp (1906/7, 193) recorded the following details about Millmount Castle which is today located in the townland of Gotoon which is adjacent to the townland of Millmount; 'Site marked in Gotoon and Castlefield. The railway now crosses its foundations'. He suggested that this castle may have been the same castle known as Milltown Castle (LI048-077----) for which he gave the following details; 'Not marked, perhaps Millmount. 1583 W. f. Ric. f. Edm. David MacGibbon, alias MacDavid Nynnagh, held the C[astle]. and mill of Milltown near Kilmallock, when slain at Cloghdalton in the rebellion of Sir John of Desmond (Inq. Chan., 49b). 1655 Old ruinous C[astle]. and seats of two grist-mills, and a tucking-mill [LI048-124----] by W. Creagh (C.S., xxv., p. 15)'. The 1659 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that William Creagh of Miltown an Irish papist was owner of 'an old ruynous Castle, the Seates of two Gristmills, and the seate of a tucking Mill' (Simington 1938, 238). The 1654-6 Down Survey map of Ballingaddy parish shows that there were two townlands called Milltown in this parish and that Millmount was annotated 'Miltowne on this map (NLI, Ms 718). The other townland of Milltown lies adjacent to the SE of the townland of Millmount. No castle or mill sites are depicted on this parish map. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Nam Books for Ballingaddy parish recorded that 'only the site of thie castle now remains' (OSNB Ballingaddy parish). Faint trace of cropmark of levelled earthwork associated with Millmount Castle visible in field immediately S of the railway line on Digital Globe aerial image taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages. In pasture, with River Loobagh 80m to E. Cross reference with LI048-077----. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 20 August 2021