Ballymoon Castle

Map Reference: S740615 (2740, 1615)





Ballymoon Castle dates from the early 14th century. A substantial curtain wall encloses a courtyard about 24m square. There are rectangular towers projecting off-centre from the NW, SE and NE walls. The gateway in the SW wall has a pointed arch and a groove for the portcullis.





The foundations of cellars and large numbers of embrasures, loops, windows and garderobes indicate ranges of buildings along the inside of the curtain wall enclosing the courtyard. There is a local tradition that the castle was never finished.





It was probably built by Roger Bigod or by a member of the Carew family between 1290 and 1310 but little is known of its history.