Shanmuckinish Castle
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| Shanmuckinish Castle | |
|---|---|
 Shanmuckinish Castle and modern houses | |
  Location within Ireland | |
| Alternative names | Seanmuckinish Castle |
| General information | |
| Status | ruined |
| Type | tower house |
| Coordinates | 53°8′20″N 9°6′9″W / 53.13889°N 9.10250°W |
| Groundbreaking | 15th century |
Shanmuckinish Castle (or Seanmuckinish Castle) (Muck inis, Irish for pig island) is a ruined tower house located in Drumcreehy civil parish of County Clare, Ireland.
The castle is located on the narrowest part of a small peninsula in the townland of Muckinish West, parish of Drumcreehy, close to the N67 coastal road. The closest town is Ballyvaughan.
History
There are two castles named Muckinish that were reportedly built within three years of each other in the 15th century (Nua means new, Sean means old). Shanmuckinish was repaired around 1836, and as of 1897 was habitable.[1]
Due to the similarities of the names of the two castles the chronology of ownership is confused. Shanmuckinish was also known for a time as "Ballynacragga Castle". This may be an indication that the MacNamara family lived here, bringing the name of their family castle near Dromoland Castle from which they were expelled in 1654. Otherwise, both Muckinish castles were inhabited up to the 19th century by members of the O'Loghlen, Neylon and Blake families.[2]: 81–4
