Part 4: Castles and tower houses c.1500
Chapter 34: Clonloghan Parish

CLONLOGHAN CASTLE (Site of)

Nat. Grid Ref. R398640; ½” Sheet 17

The tower house is said to have stood 15 perches east (right) of the above Church site

(The site of this levelled castle (i.e. tower house) is not marked in on the relevant O.S. Sheets. The above reference is based on what Curry said about it in 1839, see extract over).

For information on this levelled site refer to: a) photo above b) extracts from Curry and Frost below.

Description of site:
As stated on the previous page the site of this levelled castle (i.e. tower house) is not marked in on any editions of the O.S. Sheets. Furthermore locals do not now know of its former existence. Fortunately we do have a short reference to this site written in 1839 by Curry:-
“… They (locals) show the site of an old castle about fifteen perches east of the church (i.e. Clonloghan) in the same field. This castle is mentioned in the College List of Castles as the Castle of Cloynloghan, belonging to Donogh Maclanchy…” (O.S. Letters, 1839, page 117).

Such a reference is useful for three reasons. Firstly it tells us the approximate site of the castle, i.e.
“… about fifteen perches east of the church in the same field…”
Secondly the castle was already levelled at that time (1839) as Curry states: “…They show the site of an old castle…”
Thirdly it tells us that Donogh Maclanchy owned the castle (tower house) in 1580 A.D.

Frost supports the view that there was no trace of the site visible in the 1800’s. “…The only other object of antiquity besides the church, found in the (civil) parish is an old castle now wholly demolished, the property in 1580 of Donogh MacClancy…” (1893, page 187).

Field examination of the area east of Clonloghan Church failed to find any surface trace of this site. Curry stated that it was in the same field as the church thus it must have been quite close to the present eastern boundary wall area.

Date:
There is no available information with which to date this site. However as all other tower houses in the area date to the 1440 – 1500 period for that reason alone we can tentively suggest a c. 1476 date.

The College List, 1580, states one Donogh Mac Clancy was then owner of the site. O’Lionain makes no reference to this site.

REFERENCES