| Shanmuckinish Castle | |
|---|---|
 Shanmuckinish Castle and modern houses | |
  | |
| Alternative names | Seanmuckinish Castle |
| General information | |
| Status | ruined |
| Type | tower house |
| Coordinates | 53°8′20″N9°6′9″W / 53.13889°N 9.10250°W |
| Groundbreaking | 15th century |
Shanmuckinish Castle (or Seanmuckinish Castle) (Muck inis, Irish for pig island) is a ruined tower house located in Drumcreehy civil parish of County Clare, Ireland.
The castle is located on the narrowest part of a small peninsula in the townland of Muckinish West, parish of Drumcreehy, close to the N67 coastal road. The closest town is Ballyvaughan.
There are two castles named Muckinish that were reportedly built within three years of each other in the 15th century (Nua means new, Sean means old). Shanmuckinish was repaired around 1836, and as of 1897 was habitable. [1]
Due to the similarities of the names of the two castles the chronology of ownership is confused. Shanmuckinish was also known for a time as "Ballynacragga Castle". This may be an indication that the MacNamara family lived here, bringing the name of their family castle near Dromoland Castle from which they were expelled in 1654. Otherwise, both Muckinish castles were inhabited up to the 19th century by members of the O'Loghlen, Neylon and Blake families. [2] : 81–4
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describes the tower house as the "remains of free-standing square-plan single bay four-storey rubble stone-built tower house, c. 1450." [3] It reaches almost to its original height of around 17 m and is partially collapsed, exposing a cross-sectional view of the interior floors. The stairways have not survived. However, the ruin still features the remains of two vaulted ceilings, intramural passages and stairs. The lower windows are defensive loops, while the upper floors feature larger decorative windows. A bawn wall survives and is in relatively good repair due to work in the 18th and 19th centuries. The first floor reception room had a large fireplace in the west wall and still extant internal wall rendering. The house also has a wall walk and machicolations (of the original four only two survive). [2] : 81–4
Bunratty Castle is a large 15th-century tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the centre of Bunratty village, by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The castle and the adjoining folk park are run by Shannon Heritage as tourist attractions.
Kilfenora is a village and a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated south of the karst limestone region known as the Burren. Since medieval times when it was the episcopal see of the Bishop of Kilfenora, it has been known as the "City of the Crosses" for its seven high crosses. The village had around 220 inhabitants in 2011. Much of the TV show Father Ted (1995–98) was filmed there.
Carran, also Carron, is a small village in County Clare, Ireland. It is in the Burren region, within a civil parish of the same name. It is notable mainly for being the birthplace of Michael Cusack, the inspirer and co-founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association. At the time of the 2011 Census, Carran had 106 inhabitants.
Doonagore Castle is a round 16th-century tower house with a small walled enclosure located about 1 km south of the coastal village of Doolin in County Clare, Ireland. Its name may be derived from Dún na Gabhair, meaning "the fort of the rounded hills" or the "fort of the goats". Doonagore Castle is at present a private holiday home, inaccessible to the public.
Corofin is a large village on the River Fergus in northern County Clare, Ireland and also a parish of the same name in the Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.
Leamaneh Castle is a ruined castle located in the townland of Leamaneh North, parish of Kilnaboy, between the villages of Corofin and Kilfenora at the border of the region known as the Burren in County Clare, Ireland. It consists of a 15th-century tower house and a 17th-century mansion.
Dysert O'Dea Church near Corofin in County Clare, Ireland stands on the site of an early Christian monastery which was reportedly founded by St. Tola in the 8th century. Most of the present structures are from the 12th century.
Ballinalacken Castle is a two-stage tower house located in Killilagh parish of County Clare, Ireland. It is of uncertain date but most likely was built in the 15th or early 16th century.
Kilfenora Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Part of the structure is occasionally used as a place of worship by the Church of Ireland and it includes a bishop's throne among its furniture. The church is located in the village of Kilfenora, in the region known as the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. In medieval times, it was the episcopal see of the Bishop of Kilfenora.
Newtown Castle is a 16th-century tower house, located close to the village of Ballyvaughan within the Burren area of County Clare, Ireland. Uniquely for a tower house of its type in Ireland, Newtown Castle is mostly cylindrical in shape but rises from a square pyramidical base. It is today part of the Burren College of Art.
Dromore, County Clare is a rural townland in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is located in the parish of Ruan and was formerly the location of Dromore House. Today, most of the townland is accounted for by Dromore Wood Nature Reserve. It is open to the public and also contains the ruins of Dromore Castle.
Dough Castle is a ruined tower house at Lahinch in County Clare, western Ireland. It was established by the O'Conors in the early 14th century, but nothing remains of the original structures.
Rathborney, sometimes Rathbourney, is a civil parish in the Barony of Burren in County Clare, Ireland.
Oughtmama is a civil parish in County Clare. It lies in the Burren, a region in the northwest of the county. It contains many antiquities, including three early-medieval Christian churches, ruined castles, prehistoric cairns and ring forts and two Martello Towers built in the early 19th century.
Killilagh or Killeilagh is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It contains the village of Doolin.
Noughaval or Nohoval is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland.
Gleninagh or Glaninagh is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It lies in the extreme northwest of the Burren, on the south of the mouth of Galway Bay. It is known for the well-preserved L-plan Gleninagh Castle, a 16th-century tower house. The parish also contains the lighthouse on Black Head.
Drumcreehy or Dromcreehy is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It contains the village of Ballyvaughan.
Crooke Preceptory is a ruined church, traditionally associated with the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located in the townland of Crooke and the present day parish of Killea Crooke and Faithlegg. The church is associated with the nearby Crook Castle tower house.
