Kilcrea Castle is a ruined 15th-century

towerhouse A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

and

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 ...

located near the

Kilcrea Friary Kilcrea Friary () is a ruined medieval abbey located near Ovens, County Cork, Ireland. Both the friary and Kilcrea Castle, located in ruin to the west, were built by Observant Franciscans in the mid 15th century under the invitation of Cormac ...

, west of

Cork City Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...

, Ireland. The tower house and friary were both built by

Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry (1411–1494), was an Irish chieftain. He founded Kilcrea Friary and built Kilcrea Castle. Birth and origins Cormac was born in 1411, the eldest son of Teige MacCarthy. His father was the 6th ...

Location

Killcrea Castle stands in a copse, which almost hides it, in the valley of the River Bride on its right (southern) bank. This River Bride is a right-hand tributary of the

River Lee The River Lee (Irish: ''An Laoi'') is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's ...

(not the

River Bride The River Bride () is a river in counties Cork and Waterford in Ireland. It is a tributary of the Munster Blackwater. Rising in the Nagle Mountains, it flows eastward, passing through the towns of Rathcormac, Castlelyons, Conna and Tallow, be ...

that flows into the

Munster Blackwater The Blackwater or Munster Blackwater ( ga, An Abhainn Mhór, The Great River) is a river which flows through counties Kerry, Cork, and Waterford in Ireland. It rises in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in County Kerry and then flows in an easterly ...

is nearby to the east, on the same side of the river.

Ovens upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been us ...

is the nearest village. It is between Cork City and

Macroom Macroom (; ga, Maigh Chromtha) is a market town in County Cork, Ireland, located in the valley of the River Sullane, halfway between Cork city and Killarney. Its population has grown and receded over the centuries as it went through periods of ...

History and construction

The castle was completed by 1465 by

and founder of

, in a marshy area over an old fort possibly dating to the Bronze Age. The overall structure was built facing north (towards the River Bride), with the main five-story tower house on the western side and the

on the eastern side towards the friary. The remains of a three-story tower anchor the southeast corner of the bawn. Text from the 1840s state that the bawn was enclosed with two square towers, however any physical evidence of a second tower on the bawn is lost to the undergrowth. In the mid-19th century a cutting of the now disused Cork and Macroom Railway line was built through the moat of the castle on the northern side.

Ownership

Unlike the friary, which is in state ownership and is maintained by the National Monuments Service of Ireland, the ruins are on privately owned lands, the land immediate to, and including the ruins themselves, currently serving as a cattle farm. The castle is listed as a protected structure by

Cork County Council Cork County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chorcaí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...

Gallery

File:Kilcrea castle inner courtyard.jpg, Inner castle courtyard File:Kilcrea castle southeast tower.jpg, Southeast tower File:Kilcrea castle top of wall.jpg, Castle battlements

References

Notes

Sources

* *{{Cite book, last=Windele , first=John , author-link=John Windele , date=1839 , title=Historical and Descriptive Notices of the City of Cork and its Vicinity , publisher=Luke H. Bolster , location=Cork , oclc=20432940 , url=https://archive.org/details/historicalandde01windgoog/ Castles in County Cork Archaeological sites in County Cork Ruined castles in Ireland