Carrignacurra Castle is built on a rock outcrop
on the south bank of the River Lee about one
mile east of Inchigeelagh. It stands four
storeys high and has the appearance of a square
tower house. However, it is not a regular
rectangle as the walls are of different lengths,
(north wall 37ft, south wall 38ft, east wall
27ft, west wall 25ft). Only two corners
are square, the NE and the SW. The NW corner is
obtuse while the SE is acute, possibly to aid
defence of the castle, as a "redan" (a hollow
triangular projection like a buttress) built on
the SE comer, enabled the occupants within to
guard the south and east walls; on the NW corner
a "bartizan" (a rectangular projection
from the wall at high level for a short way
either side of the corner) allowed the occupants
to protect the north and west walls. Further
protection was provided on the east wall by a
"machicoulis" (a small square projection from
the wall at high level) from which missiles
could be dropped onto anyone attacking the
entrance doorway below. There were also
battlements (now missing) on top of the
walls, which stand about 50ft high from the
ground floor level (the ground drops away
on the north and west faces). The walls have a
base batter (an outward splay at the
bottom) which, as well as giving greater
strength to the walls, enabled missiles dropped
from the battlements to bounce off the wall onto
the attackers. The stones at the base of all
four corners have been knocked out (probably in
an attempt to weaken the structure so it would
fall). A gable, 15ft high, stands on the east
wall (the west gable having fallen), and a large
rectangular chimney stack, l5ft high, stands
west of centre of the north wall.
The castle is entered at ground level by a
doorway (entirely robbed of its stone surround)
in the east wall. The lobby gives access to a
small guard room on the left and a main
chamber straight on (approx 23ft 6in x 17ft)
which has a small narrow window in the west
wall. This ground floor chamber would probably
have been used for stores or even to house
livestock. On the right of the lobby is a spiral
staircase, which gives access to the first,
second and third floors.
Over the entrance lobby is a guard
room (approx 12ft x 5ft 6in) with a "murder
hole" in the floor through which a defender
could fire missiles at anyone who had forced
entry through the main door. In the east
wall is a small angled window (surrounds
missing) to enable a defender to fire on anyone
attacking the east side of the redan, access to
which is gained from this guard room through a
short passage. Inside this small wedge shaped
space are three narrow slit windows ("gun
loops"), one covering the south wall, one
the east wall and one in the point of the spur.
Adjacent to the guard room doorway is the
doorway to the main chamber (23ff 6in x 17ff).
This would have had a timber floor (now missing)
supported by four large corbels in the
north and south walls. There are four narrow
windows, one in the centre of the north
wall. one in the centre of the west wall, one
at the west end of the south wall, and one
(surrounds missing) at the east end of the south
wall set at an angle to enable a defender to
protect the south wall of the redan. This
first floor chamber would probably have
been a store room and/or living area for the
family entourage.
Above is the
second floor main chamber (23ft 6in x l7ft),
which again would have had a timber floor
supported by corbels. This room has a pointed
vault ceiling and the impression letf in the
mortar by the wicker work used to form the vault
can
clearly be seen. The room has only one
narrow window in the west wall, and a wall
cupboard. On the north wall is a fireplace, but
much of it is missing and only the side jambs
remain. This second floor chamber would
probably have been the kitchen and/or living
area for the family entourage. There is some
evidence that there may be a secret
chamber within the east wall. Next to the
doorway to the main chamber is another
doorway to a passage set within the thickness of
the north wall. Part way along on the
right is the "garderobe" (toilet) followed by
seven steps going up to a
short
passage that leads into the bartizan. There is a
small window in the north wall over these
steps, which are situated behind the fireplace
(the back of which is missing). In this
draughty room, which projects over the NW corner
of the castle, there are five gun loops in the
walls and two long openings in the floor, which
enable the north and west walls, including
the comer, to be defended.
In the main third floor chamber (29ft x l5ft
6in) the floor is solid, being over the
vaulted ceiling below, but any finish of stone
or wood is missing. There are three windows, a
narrow one to the east end of the south wall;
the second, at the west end
of the south
wall, was probably a wider window but is missing
along with much of the surround, and it
has a recess underneath with a stone seat on
each side. The third window is on the north wall
to the west end, and is in the same condition as
the on opposite but without the seats. In
the centre of the north wall is a fireplace. The
lintel and some of the wall above are missing,
as is the left-hand side, revealing the flue
from the fireplace on the second floor. In the
west wall are two small cupboards and in
the east wall one small cupboard and a large
recess that was possibly a larg cupboard. To the
right of the fireplace on the north wall is a
short passage leading to a "slop stone" (an
opening in the wall for disposing of dirty
water). To the right of this a doorway leads up
a flight of stairs to the NE comer providing
access to the attic room and the wall walk
(battlements). This third floor chamber would
have been theprincipal living room of the chief
and his family.
Not much remains of the attic room.
The doorway is directly over the third floor
doorway. Ten holes in the north and south walls
would have housed wooden beams to carry
the floor. The east gable still stands and has a
small window; the west gable has gone but
there is evidence in the form of two side jambs
of there having been a fireplace on this
wall. On the south side of the chimney stack on
the north wall are the remains of some
roof stones indicating a gable roof coming off
at a right angle to the main gable roof running
west to east. It may have been covered in stone
slates or thatch. This attic room would
probably have been the sleeping quarters for the
chief and his family. Access to the
"alure" (wall walk) is via a doorway at the top
of the stairs on the NE corner. This opens onto
the north wall facing west and provides an
almost unobstructed route around the top of the
walls, as the gable ends and chimney stack
rise on the inner side of the walls. The walkway
proceeds anti-clockwise around the walls
and on reaching the centre of the east wall it
rises (approx 4ft) up steps to a turret
above the stairs in the NE corner. The parapet
walls, usually crenellated, are missing.
Several features within the
construction indicate that the castle was built
in the 16th century; these are the redan,
gun loops and built-in fireplaces.
Bristol
September 1996