Ballinacarriga Castle

Ballinacarriga Castle ("Béal Áth na Carraige" in Irish, meaning "Ford Mouth of the Rock") is a 16th century Tower house, about 8km from the town of Dunmanway in western County Cork, Ireland, midway between Ballineen and Dunmanway.cite web | title= Ballinacarriga | work=Ireland Now - The Towers of Ireland | url=http://irelandnow.com/towers.html | accessdate=2008-06-15] It is situated on a high rocky outcrop overlooking Ballinacarriga Lough. To the south a stream runs from the lake to join the River Bandon and once provided a supply of water to the castle. Grid ref: 287 508.cite web | title= Ballinacarriga Castle, Co. Cork | work=Ancient Ireland - Castles | url=http://www.castles.ancientireland.org/ballinacarriga/index.htm | accessdate=2008-06-15]

Features

The castle is a four storey, six level tower house, measuring 14.6m by 11.8m, with a short section of a bawn wall at the northeast corner. The remains of a round flanking tower are just to the east of the castle. The east-facing doorway has been rebuilt but still has a portcullis groove and corbels for a machicolation above. On the ground level on the south is a guard chamber off the main lobby and a spiral stair at the northeast corner. Above the ground floor are six levels of chambers. There are bartizans at the north-west and south-east corners of the third storey and this level is vaulted. Fireplaces are in the south wall of the second and fourth storeys. On side of the castle with the doorway, a Sheela na Gig is sited high above and to the right of the door between and to the right of the top two right-hand windows. Inside at the second storey level, carving in the window embrasure is of a female figure accompanied by five roses, thought to be of Catherine O' Cullane, wife of Randall Hurley, and her five children. Also at this level are intricate and geometric designs. At the fourth storey level, carvings include The Instruments of the Passion of Christ, figures thought to be St John, St. Mary and St. Paul and the initials RM CC and the date 1585. These are thought to be the initials of Randal Muirhily (Hurley) and Catherine O'Cullane.

To the southeast is the remnant of one of four defense towers, which guarded the main tower of the castle itself. The other three have disappeared. The basement of the castle would have had a wooden ceiling - the stone corbels are still to be seen, as is the high stone arch of the second floor. On the second floor there is a mural gallery (built into the thickness of the wall) leading to the garderobe on the north side over a chute. For some reason this is known as "Moll the Phooka's Hole". The roof is missing, as are the parapets with their battlements.

History

Although the date 1585 appears in the fourth storey carving, the building could actually be older than that. It is possible that this was one a McCarthy holding before the Hurley's acquired it. The Hurleys had once occupied land a little over a kilometre to the south, in the townland of Gloun, where some remains of buildings can be seen. The Hurleys forfeited Ballinacarriga Castle in 1654, and it passed to the Crofts. The religious carvings on the top storey tend to support the local belief that it was used as a chapel as well as living quarters for the family. Locals also claim that this chapel was still in use until a new chapel was built nearby in 1815, though the tower had been in disuse as a dwelling for some time.

Today

The local residents association have worked to improve the general look and services of the Castle area and the Office of Public Works has been requested to install floodlights for the castle. [cite web | title= McCarthy Calls for Funding for Ballinacarriga Castle | work=Senator Michael McCarthy website (14 May 2008) | url=http://www.labour.ie/michaelmccarthy/news/1210767723301195.html | accessdate=2008-06-15]

ee also

*List of castles in Ireland

References

External links

* [http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/cork/ballinacarriga.html Irish Antiquities - Photographs of Ballinacarriga Castle and carvings]