Nenagh Castle, situated at the rear of Castle St to which it gives name, at the junction of the street with Summerhill and the Dublin Road, is a very strong round tower consisting at present of three stories, the floors of which are now entirely removed. The lofty entrance, which was round arched, but is now much injured, is placed on the S.E. side at a distance of about 15 ft from the ground. It was approachable by a a well flanked causeway, of the walls of which huge fragments still remain attached to the castle. 

At this doorway the external circumference of the tower, as well as can now be determined is 166½ ft. It’s internal diameter is 26ft and the thickness of the wall is 13½ ft. The lower part of the building increases gradually in circuit at the ground the semi-diameter is about two feet greater than at the doorway. 

 

The circular staircase, which was on the South side close to the doorway, is now greatly injured, the lower part is almost entirely destroyed. The upper part of the external wall of this staircase is broken. There is a huge chasm in the lower part of the tower westward of the staircase. From the level of the bottom of the door to the ground on the inside there is a depth of 5½ ft and on this space becomes about 1ft thicker on the inside all round. There are no apertures for lights whatever on the wall beneath the level of the door.

 

The first habitable floor of the castle seems to have rested on the increased thickness of the wall already mentioned. The wall diminishes in thickness about 1 foot at the second storey and again diminishes about the second at the third. The floors of these storeys appear to have rested on the between the greater and less thickness of the wall.

 

The first storey was lighted by two long and narrow port-holes, one of which, placed on the N.W. side was quadrangular, but is now disfigured on the outside. The form of the other is destroyed on this side but it seems to also have been quadrangular. They have low round arches on the inside, where they widen to a very great extent. The second storey contains 3 long and narrow port-holes, and on the inside a window the form of which on the outside is destroyed. On the inside this window has a low arch formed of ornamented cut stone, for the appearance of which see sketch (???).

 

Two of the port-holes are quadrangular, and the form of the other placed on the N. side is destroyed at the upper part, but it would appear to have been pointed- (qui?). On the inside these port-holes widen considerably and have on their upper part low round arches. On the outside close to the port-hole on the w or N.W. side there is a round-headed opening nearly 2ft in width which does not communicate directly with the interior but has a passage from it through the wall into the side of the port-hole.

 

About the W. side of the interior of this 2nd story are the remains of a fireplace and over it on the 3rd storey are the remains of another fireplace, the sides of which are formed of neatly cut stone. On this third storey there are 4 windows, one of which is pointed on the outside, another has a low round arch its sides being greatly injured, the forms of the remaining two are destroyed on the outside, but they appear to have had low arches. There is a barbican on the W. side of the tower near the present summit. The wall is now about 70 ft high, but was originally higher, it is built of limestone, well grouted.

 

At the distance of 48½ ft southward of the round tower are the ruins of a large rectangular building or Keep, measuring 60ft fro E. to W by 28¾ from N. to S. The E. wall has been destroyed the vestiges merely are observable attached to the North wall. The upper part of the South wall is destroyed. On the North Wall of this building which contains 2 storey’s, there was a large entrance or gateway having a low arch. It was about 13ft high, about 9ft 8 in in width. It is now nearly filled up on the inside. This North wall contains 8 windows some of which were very large. Their forms are now destroyed, with the exception of the extreme E. one in the upper storey, which has a low pointed arch. The window next to this to the W. was originally pointed and formed of cut stone, but it was subsequently remodelled and contracted in dimensions, the intervening face being filled up with stone-work. One of the upper cut stones of the more modern windows appears, but the rest is reduced to a formless breach. The windows on the lower story are nearly all filled up on the inside, the interior of the building now being used as a ball-court. There appears to have been a window now filled up on the W. wall near the S.W. corner. There is a strong external wall connecting the round tower with this quadrangular house at its S.W. corner. The walls of the house are about 35ft high, 6½ ft in thickness, built of regular sized limestone, well grouted.

 

Attached to the N.E. corner of the house/keep there is a strong wall which was originally connected with a small round tower, standing about 40ft N.E. of the N.E. corner of the house. There remains at present only about 24ft in height of it’s S. side. Its wall is 6ft in thickness.

 

Attached to the S.E. corner of the quadrangular house/keep, there is another round tower 18ft 4in in diameter inside having a stone arch over the ground floor. The greatest height of this tower at present is about 28ft. It’s wall is 7¾ft in thickness. There was also attached to the same house, near it’s S.W. corner a round tower of which there now remains but a portion of the N. side, much mutilated.

 

Between these two last mentioned round towers are the remains of a stone arch which was connected with the S. wall of the quadrangular building. On the external wall connecting the great round tower and this quadrangular house appear the vestiges of a fourth small round tower.

 

JOHN O’DONOVAN

Nenagh 17/10/1840