Dromore Castle (County Clare)

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Dromore Castle
Native name
Irish: Caisleán Dhrom Mór
Castles of Munster, Dromore, Clare - geograph.org.uk - 1542601.jpg
Type tower house
LocationDromore, Ruan,
County Clare, Ireland
Coordinates 52°55′32″N8°57′46″W / 52.925479°N 8.962804°W / 52.925479; -8.962804 Coordinates: 52°55′32″N8°57′46″W / 52.925479°N 8.962804°W / 52.925479; -8.962804
Builtearly 16th century
OwnerState
Official nameDromore Castle
Reference no.583
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Dromore Castle in Ireland

Dromore Castle is a tower house and National Monument located between the towns of Crusheen and Corofin in County Clare, Ireland. [1] [2]

Contents

Today, it is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as part of the Dromore Wood Nature Reserve.

Location

Dromore Castle is located on a peninsula in the northern part of Dromore Lake, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) east of Ruan. It lies within the Nature Preserve of Dromore Wood. [3]

Dromore townland lies between the towns of Crusheen and Corofin, west of the M18 motorway and north of Ennis. [3]

History

Dromore Castle was probably constructed in the early 16th century. In the 17th century, Teige O'Brien of the O'Brien clan repaired and expanded it. The castle and lands of Dromore had been granted to Teige's father, Connor (Third Earl of Thomond), in 1579. Dermot, son of Teige, was an important protagonist in the Confederate Wars and participated in the Siege of Ballyalla Castle (Ennis). The last O'Brien at the castle was Conor, who left in 1689. The castle fell into ruin in the 18th century. [4] [5]

Description

View of the castle from the west Castles of Munster, Dromore, Clare (2) - geograph.org.uk - 1542609.jpg
View of the castle from the west

The castle is four storeys high with a vault over the ground floor.

There is a wide circular staircase to the right of the main door, a small guardroom to the left and a stone fireplace in the left-hand chamber of the first floor.

There is a circular shot hole cut into the stairs between the first and second floors. The roof houses a chemin de ronde around the gables, a high rectangular chimney crowned with twin lozenge-shaped flues and corbels which once supported a corner bartizan.

The inscription over the door reads: "This castle was built by Teige, second sone to Connor, third Earle of Thomond and by Slany Brien wife to the said Teige Anno [date illegible]".

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References

  1. "Holdings: Dromore Castle, Ennis, Co. Clare".
  2. MacNeill, Máire (1 January 1990). Máire Rua: Lady of Leamaneh. Ballinakella Press. ISBN   9780946538454 via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 "Dromore Wood Nature Reserve". Burren National Park. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  4. "Ruan - Places of interest". Clare Library. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  5. Spellissy, Sean (1 January 2003). A History of County Clare. Gill & Macmillan. ISBN   9780717134601 via Google Books.