Isert Kelly Castle
Tower house in County Galway, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isert Kelly Castle is a tower house and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.[1]
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County Galway, Ireland
| Isert Kelly Castle | |
|---|---|
| Native name Caisleán Íseart Uí Cheallaigh (Irish) | |
| Isserkelly Castle | |
| |
| Type | tower house |
| Location | Castlepark, Kilchreest, County Galway, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53.157982°N 8.718990°W |
| Height | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Built | 15th century |
| Owner | State |
| Official name | Isert Kelly Castle |
| Reference no. | 272 |
  Location of Isert Kelly Castle in Ireland | |
Location
Isert Kelly Castle is 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Kilchreest.[2]
History
The tower house was built some time in the 15th century.[3] It belonged to the MacHubert Burkes, who claim descent from Hubert, son of Richard Óg de Burgh, a Hiberno-Norman knight of the 13th century. It later passed to the MacRedmonds, another branch of the Burkes (de Burgo, de Búrca).[4][5]
It was burned by the Ó Doṁnaill (O'Donnells) in 1596. A fireplace within is dated 1604.[citation needed]
After the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland Isert Kelly Castle passed to Dudley Persse. William Persse owned it in the 19th century.[citation needed]
Substantial excavation took place in 2014–16.[6]
Description
The tower house is well-preserved and stands 21 m (69 ft) tall, within a bawn 60 m (200 ft) square. Secondary buildings may have included a hall, stables, cottages and barns. The surrounding "Castlepark" townland covers 20.5 ha (51 acres).
The first floor is vaulted and has a fireplace. The second floor has arcades. The main room is at the third storey with a dated fireplace of 1604 with the initials W.H.[7]