Carrigogunnell Castle (Irish: ''Chairrge Ó gCoinneall'') is a medieval Irish fortification near the village of

Clarina Clarina () is a village in County Limerick in the province of Munster, Ireland. It lies between Mungret and Kildimo on the N69 road west of the centre of Limerick city close to the River Maigue. The Maigue is a tributary of the River Shanno ...

, on the banks of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

. The structure dates to at least the early 13th century, and was

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative, or social structures. This destruction of property is sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It ...

in September 1691 after being captured during the second siege of Limerick.

Description

The castle is built on outcrop

trap rock Trap rock, also known as either trapp or trap, is any dark-colored, fine-grained, non-granitic intrusive or extrusive igneous rock. Types of trap rock include basalt, peridotite, diabase, and gabbro.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A ...

of volcanic origin that overlooks the low lands of

, and the

. claimed that the plan showed little appreciation of defensive science, and as a result attributed it to the Irish Gaelic tribe of the

Dalcassians The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál Cas. ...

. The main (southern) gateway he thought poorly defended, lacking side towers, and with walls under thick - the gate itself led to by a shallow slope. The absence of towers at the junctions of walls, and the confused plan of buildings within the defenses were taken by Westropp as evidence of the place being only a suitable as a fortified residence, and not fitted for defense of an assault or siege. The main southern gate was the only exit, excluding a

sally port A sallyport is a secure, controlled entry way to an enclosure, e.g., a fortification or prison. The entrance is usually protected by some means, such as a fixed wall on the outside, parallel to the door, which must be circumvented to enter and ...

on the west side leading to the crags of the rock formation. The castle had an

outer ward An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bu ...

of around in area, approximately

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

shaped in plan, with a tower in the SW corner. Much of the west wall had been removed (1908). A large two storey skewed-rectangularish building was located on the NE corner of the ward, suggested without any obvious remaining evidence to have been a chapel. The inner (upper) ward was inset in the NW corner of the castle, with a range of two story buildings along the west wall, showing at least two periods of construction; there was a

keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...

in the northwestmost corner; a range of accommodation adjacent to it to the east; and a tower and staircase on the south side. The buildings are of well-cut local limestone - and not of the rock of the outcrop. The

was over high, with 5 storeys and a spiral stair; by ca. 1908 only the outwall and parts of the southern wall remained. It shows architectural indicators dating it to the 14th of 15th centuries. To the east of the keep was a three-story residence, probably 16th century.

Name - etymology and history

The castle and or area, as "Carraic Ui gConaing" are referred to in the

Annals of Innisfallen The ''Annals of Inisfallen'' () are a chronicle of the medieval history of Ireland. Overview There are more than 2,500 entries spanning the years between 433 and 1450. The manuscript is thought to have been compiled in 1092, as the chronic ...

(1209) as being confirmed by King John to Donchad Cairbreach O'Brien, King of Thormond, an ally of the English king's Norman interests. Since at least the late medieval period the name has been associated with Irish Gaelic for "rock of the candle" (see § Legends.) In

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

's reign it was recorded as "Carekogunyel". It was recorded on maps as "Carrig Gunning" (Hardiman map collection, c.1570-80); as "Carykgonyn" on Mercator's Atlases published by

Hondius Hondius can refer to two possibly unrelated families of engravers and cartographers, who both moved from Flanders to the Dutch Republic in the 1590s: * Amsterdam family originating from Ghent: ** Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) *** Jodocus Hond ...

of 1606 and 1636; during the same period, on

John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.; superseding . The son of a citizen and Merchant Taylor in London,"Life of John Speed", ''The Hibernian Magazine, Or, Compe ...

's map and other English maps as "Cargonin" or "Cargonian". The name "Carrigogunnel" has been recorded as early as 1536. Antiquaries have also assumed a derivation of the name from a local ancient tribe, the Ui Chonail Gabhra (see also

Uí Fidgenti The Uí Fidgenti, Fidgeinti, Fidgheinte, Fidugeinte, Fidgente, or Fidgeinte ( or ;In the pronunciation, the -d- is silent, and the -g- becomes a glide, producing what might be anglicized ''Feeyenti'' or ''Feeyenta''. "descendants of, or of the ...

), though there is a lack of references showing that they actually controlled the land the castle is situated on. suggests that Carrigogunnel and

Castleconnell Castleconnell (, historically ''Caisleán Uí Chonaing'') is a village in County Limerick on the banks of the River Shannon. It is from Limerick city and near the boundaries of County Clare and County Tipperary. History The ruins of the Cas ...

to the east both derive from the name of the historic tribe, the Ui Chonaing. The etymology and name Carrig-O-Gloinneal, meaning Rock of the O’Connells has also been suggested.

History

Carrigogunnell Castle Ruin tower and house adjoining other walls

The castle is first named in 1209, when Carrac Ui Conaing was granted to Donnchad Cairbreach, King of

Thomond Thomond ( Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the Kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...

. Other unsubstantiated stories tell it being built for or garrisoned by Templars. No record remains for over a century; then a branch of the

O'Briens The O'Brien dynasty (; ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) was an Irish Clan and nobility, noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he establi ...

seems to have crossed the Shannon, settled there, and overspread the old Norman Manor of Esclon, and southward, up the Maigue, their territory being represented by the barony and name of Pubblebrian; this is said to have been about 1336, but their chief's ancestor of the later Briens of Carrigogunnell, Tadhg na Glenore (O'Brien), was King of Thomond in 1426, and it seems doubtful whether his descendants obtained the place and built the castle much before 1450. The castle first appears in history in 1536;

Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane Leonard Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland (1479/149228 July 1541), known as Lord Leonard Grey prior to 1536, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1536 to 1540. Family Leonard Grey was a younger son of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset and Cecily ...

, the Lord Deputy, marched to "the very strong castle called Carekogunyel, and in English Candell Rock… It stands on a high rock and .... is the key of all the county." According to "''Limerick; Its History and Antiquities, ..''" by Maurice Lenihan the other occupants of the castle were the O'Connell Family, who surrendered it to the Fitzgeralds. The owner, Mahon "Mat" O'Byrne, surrendered it on condition that the Government should hold it themselves. State pledges were broken as easily then as now. Grey was about to give it to one Donoth O'Bryne, ignoring his promise, when by a plot of Edmond Sexton and his wife (as their enemies alleged, but Grey acquitted them) it was put back into the hands of "Matthew's" warder; it was then attacked, and one of its towers was taken on the night of 22 August; the keep surrendered next morning, and Edmond Cahill, the warder, and all its garrison were brought to Limerick, tried and hanged. The Crown claimed the castle, apparently on the unfounded statement that the O'Briens held from "Lord Clerre", probably Richard de Clare, whose lands had reverted to the Crown. Donough was established in it, but he abused his powers and was deprived for extortion. Mahon used to claim a penny for each barrel of wine, and 2 pence for every other barrel brought to Limerick. Donough's son, Brian Duff, was confirmed in it and in nearly all the present Pubblebrian. The castle was not used in

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities in a personal union un ...

(1640-1651). A Captain Wilson took it over and built a stable there after it was prudently sold by its last owner, Donough Brien, to Michael Boyle (afterwards Archbishop of Dublin). It then had a castle, bawn, a few thatched huts, and a salmon fishery. During the second siege of Limerick of the

Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...

, the castle was occupied by a force of 150 men for King James II. In August 1691 the Dutch general Godert de Ginckell sent Lieutenant-General Scravemore with a strong party, and four guns, to take the castle. The garrison surrendered, and were marched to

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

as prisoners of war. Shortly after, in September 1691, de Ginckell ordered Carrigogunnell slighted and it was blown up.

Carrigogunnell massacre

was implicated in several massacres in Ireland; the most notorious took place at Carrigogunnell Castle in 1536 (then part of

, it would later become part of

in the

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...

). As an active participant in the

Tudor conquest of Ireland Ireland was conquered by the Tudor monarchs of England in the 16th century. The Anglo-Normans had Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, conquered swathes of Ireland in the late 12th century, bringing it under Lordship of Ireland, English rule. In t ...

, he was one of the figures who brought a new element to Irish warfare, where the killing of non-combatants by Crown forces was seen as acceptable by the establishment.

Legends

A tradition has been recorded that before the construction of the castle the rock at Carrigogunnel was the abode of a

Hag A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy, witch, or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as "Hansel and Gretel". Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of t ...

, 'Grana', "''Gigantic in size, and frightful in appearance''"; according to the legend she would light an enchanted candle every night on the peak, and a person who looked at it that night would be dead before sunrise the next day. In one version of the story this curse of the hag was lifted by one Regan (one of Finn's men), with the aid of a magic cap gifted by the magician Luno of Lochlin - the story tells how a large erratic stone in the area, known as the ''Clough-a-Regaun'' (or Cloghregan), was thrown by the hag at the escaping hero of the tale, Regan. According to the 19th century recorder of the tale,

Thomas Crofton Croker Thomas Crofton Croker (15 January 1798 – 8 August 1854) was an Irish antiquary, best known for his ''Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland'' (1825–1828), and who also showed considerable interest in Irish song and music ...

, the name Carrigogunnel has its origins in the same story - meaning "rock of the candle".The Gaelic for rock and candle are ''creag'' and ''coinneal'' respectively. Variations of the story attribute the deed to Saint Patrick.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * *, ''alt link via'
website of County Clare Library
''www.clarelibrary.ie'' * *
''alt link via archive.org''
* ;Attribution

External links

{{commons category, Carrigogunnell Castle 13th-century establishments in Ireland 13th-century fortifications Buildings and structures demolished in the 1690s 1691 disestablishments in Ireland Castles in County Limerick Ruined castles in the Republic of Ireland