Letters on the Antiquities of County Clare, 1835 by Eugene O’Curry
transcribed and edited by Brían Ó Dálaigh

Letter I: Castles near Limerick, Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on-Fergus

Extract of a letter from Mr E Curry to George Smith Esq. College Green, Dublin,
dated at Limerick, 8 July 1835.

The following remains of castles are to be found, as well as I can now recollect, in that lovely and fertile tract of country between this [Limerick] and Ennis and which was the theatre of the bloody conflicts between the powerful septs of the O’Briens, MacNamaras, MacMahons &c. and the De Clares.

Six Mile Bridge is a pretty large post town lying about eight miles north-west of Limerick and from this place I take the bearings and distances of the following places:

Baile Mhac Chaisil, Bally Mac Cashel [Ballymulcashel] castle is a large square stone building in good preservation and inhabited by a poor family. It is built on a steep rock in a level country with some ruins of houses apparently belonging to it in the rear. It lies north east of Six Mile Bridge two miles.

Rath Laithin [Ralahine] castle is built on a steep rock. It is in good repair interiorly and exteriorly the stairs spiral and [are] perfect to the top. The rooms are also in good preservation though not inhabited. It lies west of Six Mile Bridge three miles.

Béal an Chuilin [Ballycullen] castle is a large square building on the precipitous declivity of a mountain. It is completely gutted and has some remains of rather modern fortifications around it. It was and is by some called Caisleán Thadhaig na Ciaraoil (Tadhg Ó Briain). It lies about two miles east of Six Mile Bridge.

Ros Ruadh [Rossroe] castle is situated on a lake of the same name. It is completely gutted but the shell is entire. It lies about three miles north west of Six Mile Bridge.

Caisleán Diarmada, [Castledermot] the foundation of an old castle to be seen under water on the eastern side of Fionn Loch. The ploughland is called Tuath Fionn Locha very near Ros Ruadh.

Dromlinn [Drumline] castle is a square with two gables standing. It is gutted but perfect outside. It is built on a rock and is south west of Six Mile Bridge four miles. (No lake near).

Cnapóg [Knappogue] castle is a very fine square building on the brow of a rocky steep precipice. It is perfect inside and outside, and with a small modern building attached, forms the feudal looking residence of Captain John Scott. It lies north of Six Mile Bridge about six miles.

Urla [Urlanmore] castle was what is called here a double castle that is two square towers connected by a square court. One of the towers is down now. It lies four miles south west of Six Mile Bridge.

Cairaig Óran [Carrigoran], the ruins of two or three castles are to be seen here, one of them on a crag must be the right cairig. Sir Augustine Fitzgerald has a mansion house here which goes by the name of Cairaig óran. It lies about five miles west of Six Mile Bridge.

Baile an Ghaibhnig or Smithstown castle [is] a square tower with the eastern side fallen out and gutted. It lies south west from Six Mile Bridge on the Limerick and Ennis road.

Bunraite [Bunratty] is a large oblong strong pile of building well defended by four strong towers built into the angles. It is in good preservation, the whole roofed in and until lately the residence of the Studderts of Bunratty. There is a police station in part of it at present. It is about four miles south west of Six Mile Bridge on the road between Limerick and Ennis. The foundation of Bunratty is (except the form of the towers) like Tír Dá Ghlas as given in the Dublin Penny Journal, vol 2, December 7, 1833.

Ros Manachair proper Ros Manaichfhir [Rossmanagher] castle is a small square tower in good external preservation but partly gutted of stairs &c. It has two gables still and stands on a rock about two miles south of Six Mile Bridge.

Cill Caisin i.e. Kilkishen castle is a large square tower in good preservation still habitable and serving for a store and cow house. It was built by Caisin Mac Conmara in the twelfth century. Four miles north east of Six Mile Bridge.

Daingean [Dangan Uí Bhiggin] is an old castle said to be built by the aforesaid Caisin about the same time but wrested from him by Peter de Clare, who in his turn lost it with his life, being killed by the MacNamaras, whereupon his brother John de Clare removed the chief seat from this to Bunratty. It is about two miles north of Kilkishen.

Cragán Eoghain [Cragganowen] the ruin of a large square tower standing on a rocky craig, though this place is in ruins now, it was inhabited within the last forty years. It is near Daingean and in the immediate vicinity of Culhane or Loch O’Connell the romantic seat of Thomas Steele Esq. I believe this belonged to the MacGraths.

Baile Uí Mharcacháin [Ballymarkahan] castle is an old square tower with its eastern side fallen in and gutted. It lies in a rocky plain about half a mile north west of Cnapóg.

Daingean Breac [Danganbrack] is a large square building with four gables and chimneys within two fields of Quin Abbey and about a mile north west of Baile Uí Mharcacháin. It belonged to the MacNamaras and remains in good preservation and, though part of the roof has fallen in, it is still inhabited. It is seven miles north-west of Six Mile Bridge.

Caisleán Chlaonaidhe [Clenagh Castle] is a large square tower in good preservation. It was built by the MacMahons and lies on the Fergus about six miles west of Six Mile Bridge.

Caisleán an Fhorgais or Castle Fergus is a large square tower in good preservation. It lies north- west of Six Mile Bridge about eight miles and though called Castle Fergus, it is two miles up from that river.

Rath Faolain [Rathfolan] castle is a ruined square tower situated on a steep crag near Dromoland about five miles north-west of Six Mile Bridge.

Múchán [Mooghaun] castle is another ruined tower close to Rath Faolain and seated on a crag in like manner.

My next letter shall name a few more castles with any observations that I may have time to make in etymology &c.