Ballymarkahan Castle is a ruined tower house in the parish of Quin, in County Clare, Ireland.[1] It was listed by Irish antiquarian T. J. Westropp as one of the 195 "lesser castles", or peel towers, of County Clare in 1899, by which time it was already a ruin.[2][3] It was mentioned as a ruin in the Ordnance Survey Letters of John O'Donovan and Eugene O'Curry in 1839.[4] It is marked on the Ordnance Survey map of 1842.[5] The castle dates from the fifteenth century, some time after the construction of Quin Abbey, and was built by the MacNamara family, who built a number of castles in the area, including nearby Knappogue Castle.[6] According to Westropp, it was built in 1430 by "Donall, son of Shane an Gabhaltais."[7]
| Ballymarkahan Castle | |
|---|---|
| County Clare, Ireland | |
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4570420.jpg) Ballymarkahan Castle, seen from the south | |
  Ballymarkahan Castle | |
| Coordinates | 52°48′14″N 8°50′13″W / 52.803867°N 8.836839°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th century |
| Built by | MacNamara family |
References
edit- ^ Ballymarkahan Castle Archived 2013-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, 00004448.jpg: View of Ballymarkahan Castle behind the trees, Clare County Library
- ^ T. J. Westropp, "Notes on the lesser towers or 'Peel towers' of the County Clare", Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 5 (1899), 362
- ^ Ballymarkahan Castle Archived 2013-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, 00016793.jpg: Dr. George Unthank MacNamara sits in an opening in Ballymarkahan Castle near Quin, c. 1900, Clare County Library.
- ^ Ordnance Survey Letters: Parish of Quin (b), Clare County Library.
- ^ Ballymarkahan Castle on 1842 Ordnance Survey Map, Clare County Library.
- ^ Westropp, "County Clare Folk-Tales and Myths, III (Continued)", Folklore 24 (1913), 377
- ^ Westropp (1899), p. 351
External links
edit- Location of Ballymarkahan Castle, Irelandhistory.ie