Cloghan Castle (County Cork)
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Cloghan Castle (Irish: An Clochán) is a ruined tower house on Castle Island in Lough Hyne in West Cork, Ireland. While no longer standing, it was originally at least three storeys tall. Castle Cloghan was once the main stronghold of the Irish clan O'Driscoll, but was abandoned after their Chief, Sir Fineen O'Driscoll, died there in 1629. The mid-19th century collapse of the ruins is said to have been caused by the barking of a ghostly black dog.
Cloghan Castle is located on a mound on the south-east side of Castle Island, in Lough Hyne, West Cork, Ireland.[1] Lough Hyne is an unusually deep sea lough, with depths up to 44 metres (144 ft), and has fierce waters and a large tidal range. When combined with high ground of up to 200 metres (660 ft) surrounding the lough this makes it relatively secure from sea and land. The island is reachable only by boat, and relatively low lying.[2]
Cloghan Castle is largely ruined, though some above-ground stonework remains. It was a square-sided tower house with an enclosure or extension constructed on its eastern side.[3] Only the south-western corner of the tower house and the north-eastern corner of the enclosure survive.[4] Based on surviving remains the tower measured around 8.5 by 11.4 metres (28 ft × 37 ft) externally and 4 by 6 metres (13 ft × 20 ft) internally; its long-axis ran approximately east–west.[4][5] The enclosure was approximately 5.5 metres (18 ft) square.[4]
The remains of the tower show it to be formed of rough-hewn blocks of the local Old Red Sandstone. The blocks are small enough to have been placed by hand without the need for any lifting tackle. They were bonded with a poor-strength mortar, lavishly applied. The inside of the walls may once have been rendered with a mortar mix. The entrance does not survive but was potentially sited in the eastern wall, as is the entrance at Castle Salem, which is of similar design.[5]
A single loophole survives in the west wall of the ground floor. This might have been defensive in nature but probably its main use was as a source of light and air. A slopstone, for washing, was positioned directly beneath the loophole. The first floor was supported on timber joists, the sockets of which remain in the masonry; there were probably eight joists spanning the tower on the north–south axis. At first-floor level there are the remains of another loophole in the western wall, but it has been much robbed out. The second floor, likely the principal chamber (though the tower may well have had further storeys), was supported on a barrel vault ceiling.[6]
The enclosure to the east probably served to provide additional accommodation.[7] It was constructed of smaller stones, closely fitted together. Though the same low-strength mortar was used to bond the stones, the construction of the surviving wall is superior to that seen in the tower. The north wall of the enclosure holds the remains of a window, of larger size than the loopholes in the tower.[6]
Additionally there are two short sections of surviving drystone wall to the north and south of the structure. These are possibly the surviving remnants of additional structures or an outer wall. The northern section runs from the north wall of the tower house, while the surviving southern section, also on a north–south axis, lies some 7 metres (23 ft) away from the wall of the enclosure.[7]
It is possible that further remains exist below ground level as the site has not been subject to archaeological investigation.[5][7] In general the remains seem to have survived with little robbing.[7] The ruins lie abandoned and covered in ivy.[8]