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Dunasead Castle (''Dún na Séad'' in Irish, meaning ''Fort of the Jewels''), sometimes known as Baltimore Castle, is a 17th-century fortified house situated in the town of
Dunasead is built on a ridge of sandstone in the heart of Baltimore, overlooking the harbour. It consists of a two-storey rectangular building (with an additional attic space) surrounded by a bawn or curtain wall. The main building is set into the south-west wall of the bawn, and measures approximately . This building's defensive features are meagre compared to those of the earlier tower houses in the region; on the ground floor, the windows are narrow slits, and there is a bartizan on the south-west corner.
Dunasead Castle (''Dún na Séad'' in Irish, meaning ''Fort of the Jewels''), sometimes known as Baltimore Castle, is a 17th-century fortified house situated in the town of Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
in western County Cork, Ireland. The tower house is built on the site of an earlier Norman-era structure, which itself replaced an earlier Bronze Age ringfort
Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...
. Traditionally associated with the O'Driscoll family, it was purchased and restored by members of the McCarthy family in the late 1990s, and partially opened to the public from 2005.
History
The present castle is not the first to have been built on the site. In 1215, anAnglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to:
*Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066
*Anglo-Norman language
**Anglo-Norman literature
*Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...
settler, FitzStephens, built a tower house with a bawn
A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicised version of the Irish word ''bábhún'' (sometimes spelt ''badhún''), possibly meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure".See alternative traditional spe ...
there, which itself replaced a much older fortification, probably a ringfort
Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...
. In 1305, the castle was attacked and burned down by one of the most powerful Gaelic septs
A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish clan, Scottish or List of Irish clans, Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may ind ...
in the region, the MacCarthys. Another Gaelic sept, the O'Driscolls, much smaller but still powerful in the region, subsequently took possession of Dunasead and rebuilt it.
The O'Driscolls were constantly under pressure from encroachments by Anglo-Norman settlers and rival Gaelic clans on their territory and trade interests, which resulted in the castle being attacked and destroyed numerous times in the following centuries. One especially long-running feud erupted between the O'Driscolls and the merchants of Waterford City in 1368, following an attack on the Waterford fleet by the O'Driscolls. This feud continued on and off for almost two centuries, ending in the sacking of Dunasead, Baltimore and other O'Driscoll castles by another Waterford fleet in 1537.
The castle was rebuilt, but, following the O'Driscolls' support for Hugh O'Neill at the Battle of Kinsale, the castle was surrendered to the English army. Some of the O'Driscolls received pardons, and Dunasead was returned to Florence O'Driscoll, who subsequently leased it out, along with most of his lands, due to financial problems. The present castle was probably built in the 1620s and was surrendered to Oliver Cromwell's forces in the 1640s.
The castle later fell into ruins, but was renovated between 1997 and 2005 and is now in use as a private residence.
Architecture
Dunasead is built on a ridge of sandstone in the heart of Baltimore, overlooking the harbour. It consists of a two-storey rectangular building (with an additional attic space) surrounded by a bawn or curtain wall. The main building is set into the south-west wall of the bawn, and measures approximately . This building's defensive features are meagre compared to those of the earlier tower houses in the region; on the ground floor, the windows are narrow slits, and there is a bartizan on the south-west corner.
See also
*Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centred in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Mun ...
* List of castles in Ireland
*List of coastal fortifications of County Cork
A number of coastal fortifications were built in County Cork, Ireland, to defend the county's coastline, and in particular the strategic berths at Cork Harbour, Kinsale Harbour, Berehaven and Bantry Bay. The fortifications initially included m ...
References
{{Historic Irish houses Baltimore, County Cork Buildings and structures completed in the 17th century Castles in County Cork