Fortified houses in Ireland

Last updated

Kanturk Castle, Kanturk, County Cork Kanturk, County Cork - Kanturk Castle.jpg
Kanturk Castle, Kanturk, County Cork
Portumna castle. Portumna castle.jpg
Portumna castle.

In Ireland at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century, the fortified house (Irish : teach daingean), along with the stronghouse, developed as a replacement for the tower house. 'Fortified Houses' were often rectangular, or sometimes U or L-shaped, three-storey structures with high gables and chimney stacks and large windows with hood mouldings. Some examples have square towers at the corners. The interiors were relatively spacious with wooden partitions and numerous fireplaces. In a number of cases 'Fortified Houses' were built onto pre-existing tower houses. 'Fortified Houses' were protected by gun fire from the angle towers and bartizans, and were also provided with bawn walls with gunloops, towers and protected gateways. 'Fortified Houses' were built throughout Ireland by large landowners from a variety of backgrounds, such as the Old English Earl of Clanricarde who built Portumna Castle in County Galway; Gaelic lords such as MacDonogh MacCarthy, Lord of Duhallow, who built Kanturk Castle in County Cork; and Cromwellian soldiers such as Sir Charles Coote, who built Rush Hall in County Offaly.

Contents

Over the past six decades studies concerning Irish 'Fortified Houses' have identified them as a transitional genre that emerged at the end of the sixteenth century and acted as an architectural bridge between the Irish medieval tower-house and the country manor house of the late seventeenth century. The 'Fortified House' drew on the earlier tradition of the tower-house and was influenced by the Tudor and emerging Jacobean architecture from England and the Classical and Military architecture coming from Continental Europe. The social, political and military changes that took place from the 1580s-1650s were to play a major role in the development of this unique Irish structure. These houses provided a comfortable living space for the elite of early seventeenth-century Irish society. They were fashionable yet defendable. The 'Fortified House' was a public display of power and wealth. They represented a long term investment in their owner’s regional future and were monuments to an aspiration for an English and Continental house style suited to local Irish conditions. On a basic level the construction of a 'Fortified House' represented the owners’ desire to modernise and Anglicize. [1]

Examples

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manor house</span> Historically, the main residence of the lord of the manor

A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with manorial tenants and great banquets. The term is today loosely applied to various country houses, frequently dating from the Late Middle Ages, which formerly housed the landed gentry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunboy Castle</span> Ruined castle in Ireland

Dunboy Castle is a ruined 15th century castle on the Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland near the town of Castletownbere. The castle's tower house and bawn were destroyed in the 1602 Siege of Dunboy, though its ruins remain open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower house</span> Type of stone structure, built for defensive and habitation purposes

A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces. At the same time, they were also used as an aristocrat's residence, around which a castle town was often constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portumna</span> Town in Connacht, Ireland

Portumna is a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland, on the border with and linked by a bridge to County Tipperary. The town is located to the west of the point where the River Shannon enters Lough Derg. This historic crossing point over the River Shannon between counties Tipperary and Galway has a long history of bridges and ferry crossings. On the south-western edge of the town lie Portumna Castle and Portumna forest park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional road (Ireland)</span> Class of road in Ireland

A regional road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route, but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three-digit route numbers, prefixed by "R". The equivalent road category in Northern Ireland are B roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloughjordan</span> Town in County Tipperary, Ireland

Cloughjordan, officially Cloghjordan, is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is in the barony of Ormond Lower, and it is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ollie Canning</span> Irish hurler

Oliver Canning is an Irish retired hurler who played as a left corner-back for the Galway senior team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durrus</span> Village in Munster, Ireland

Durrus is a village and civil parish in West Cork in Ireland. It is situated ten kilometres (6 mi) from Bantry in County Cork, at the head of the Sheep's Head and the Mizen Head peninsulas.

Meelick, also Milic, is a townland on the River Shannon in Ireland. It lies approximately 4 km southeast of Eyrecourt in County Galway.It is best known for its walkway that connects to Lusmagh (Offaly). It also holds the oldest church still in use in Ireland at 608 years old given papal permission and built in 1414 AD it is also within the Parish of Clonfert which is home to the madonna statue Our Lady of Clonfert. Clonfert is the head of its diocese with its headquarters home to Most Rev. Bishop Michael Duignan, St. Brendans Presbytery Loughrea. It is home to the oldest hurling club in Ireland which was founded in 1884. It has a little pub 10 yards from The Church known locally as “George’s/The Shop” It holds a kayaking festival each year after the boating season halts to its winter end with a great quay half way between Portumna and Banagher home to SilverLine Cruisers, CarrickCraft and Emerald Star-line. It holds a car rally in association with Galway Rally ever few years. Its current Parish Priest (2021) is REV.Fr.Declan McInerney PP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rostellan</span> Village in County Cork, Ireland

Rostellan is a civil parish, townland and village in the historical Barony of Imokilly, County Cork, Ireland. An electoral division of the same name forms part of the Cork East Dáil constituency. For census purposes, the village of Rostellan is combined with the neighbouring villages of Farsid and Aghada. As of the 2011 census, the combined settlement of Aghada-Farsid-Rostellan had a population of 1,015 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portnablagh</span> Village in County Donegal, Ireland

Portnablagh is a small village in County Donegal, Ireland. Portnablagh is located on the north-west coast of County Donegal, specifically the west side of Sheephaven Bay. It is on the N56 road.

Lorrha is a small village at the northern tip of County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located on a minor road between the R489 Birr to Portumna road and the N65 Nenagh to Portumna road about five kilometres east of the point where the River Shannon enters Lough Derg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008–09 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship</span>

The 2008–09 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship was the 39th since the establishment of the competition by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1970–71. The first matches of the season were played on 12 October 2008 and the championship ended on 17 March 2009. Portumna went into the 2008 championship as defending champions, having won their second All-Ireland title the previous year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergal Healy</span> Galway hurler

Fergal Healy is an Irish hurler who palys for his local club Craughwell and, formerly, at senior level for the Galway county team from 1997–2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinny Cahill</span> Irish hurling manager and former player

Dinny Cahill is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the former manager of the Antrim senior hurling team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorstown Castle</span> Tower house and bawn in County Tipperary, Ireland

Moorstown Castle is a late 15th-century stone structure consisting of an enclosed circular keep near Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portumna Castle</span> Semi-fortified house in Portumna, County Galway, Ireland

Portumna Castle is a semi-fortified house in Portumna, County Galway, Ireland which was built in the early 17th century by Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menlo Castle</span>

Menlo Castle or Menlough Castle, also called Blake's Castle, is a 16th century castle situated on the bank of the River Corrib near Menlo village in County Galway, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derryhiveny Castle</span> Castle in County Galway, Ireland

Derryhiveny Castle is a tower house and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.

References

  1. Joe Nunan. "Current Research Projects". Blackwater Archaeology. Retrieved 11 February 2009.