Parish of Kilnaboy (h)

From a list of Castles and their owners in this Country preserved in a manuscript, without a date, preserved in the MS. Library of Trinity College, Class E.2. 14, we find the following Castles situated in this Parish:-

1. Castle of Inchiquin, inhabited by the Baron of Inchiquin; now nearly levelled but the walls of the house remain two storeys high, extending south-east from the side of the Castle ninety feet in length and twenty two in breadth.
2. The Castle of Ballycrottry called on Petty’s Map Ballycortrea and now Ballyporty, Baile Puirt Riag, inhabited by Mahown McBrene O’Brien. The walls of this Castle remain entire still and afford shelter to a poor family.
3. The Castle of Leim an Eich, by Teige Mac Morough O’Brien. This Castle and the walls of an extensive court attached remain in good external preservation, on the road from Corofin to Kilfenora, within two miles of the latter. The pillars of a strong gateway remain at either side of the road a little to the west of the Castle and similar pillars in a like position a mile to the east, and tradition says that no person was allowed to pass between these gates without the permission of the Lords of the Castle, or their Ladies, the best remembered of whom are Conor O’Brien and Mary Mac Mahon, his wife, commonly called Maire Ruadh or Red Mary, and of whom many deeds of treachery and bloodshed are recorded all over this Country. There is a tomb inscribed to their two daughters in the Church of Cood in this Parish, dated 1651. This Castle is set down in the College document as in O’Conor’s Country.