Bruree Castle (aka Ballynoe)

The ivy covered ruin of Bruree Castle can be found in the beautifully kept Ballynoe graveyard.

The ruin according to a badly damaged plaque at the entrance to the graveyard states the castle is also know as Ballynoe Castle.  

The castle would also appear to be referred to occasionally as the higher castle as it is built on high ground overlooking the village of Bruree - with the Maigue River flowing just below it and there are some other castle's situated close by on lower ground once owned by the De Lacy's.

Bruree castle is dated to the 14th Century (the claim that the Knights Templars built this castle in the 12th century is unsupported).

Cromwell's troops took the castle in the 15th Century and apart from that not much else is known about the history of the castle.
Indeed if you put Ballynoe Castle into a search engine you will find out about a champion show jumping horse with an unusual condition.     

Today the ruin has fencing protecting the open lower part of the castle (image 5) which prevents the ruin from being further explored.

Access - The castle is very visible as you enter Bruree.  
Parking can be found in the lane way that brings you up the graveyard. 
 



 

Kilmallock Round Tower

This much altered round tower is all that remains from an earlier site that dates back to the
7th Century Monastery built by St Mocheallog.

The round tower is dated sometime between the 10th and 11th Century and has now the later west wall of the church built around it.

The towers original stone work can be best viewed from outside the church at the base (image 2).

From a couple of meters up the tower changes in masonry and appearance, with the medieval work carried out on the tower becoming more obvious the higher you go.

The round tower of Kilmallock has been much altered and as a result is very different from other towers to be found in Ireland.

The Collegiate Church which is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul was built in the 13th Century.

As I was stuck for time on the day of my visit and was intent on making the tower shots a priority I did not get to explore the church or any of the other great sites in Kilmallock.

Access - The tower is located just off the main street in Kilmallock, the streets are narrow but parking can be found without great difficulty.     







   

Castletown Stone Row / Alignment

The stone row of Castletown (also known as Craig Stone Row)  is just one of those alignments that  looks good from a distance and even better close up.

The alignment is just over 5 meters in length, with the distance between the stones close to 2.5 meters.

The tallest of the stones is 1.6 meters in height the middle stone is 1.1 meters tall with the other end stone being 1.4 meters in height.

Access - The site is a short drive from the N20.
The field is very large and the stones can be seen from the road.
The field the alignment is in can sometimes have cattle grazing.
The farmer who's land it is on seemed happy enough  for me to get up close to the site once the cattle were not present. 

Carrigogunnell Castle

This stunning ruin is all that remains of Carrigogunnell Castle, which is situated near the village of Clarina. The castle is an impressive fortress dominating a volcanic rocky crag. It consists of a multi-sided enclosure, fortified by a strong wall probably of 15th-century date, in a poor state of preservation. The castle was blasted apart by cannon during the 1691 siege of Limerick.