Ballyclogh castle

Artist(s) : Thomas Dineley (Draughtsman)

View of Ballyclogh or Ballynacloghy Castle, renamed Stonehall Castle, Co. Clare, of which only the base now remains. The castle, composed of a tower house and adjoining mansarded five-bay building, stands in the middle ground, fronted by a lawn and surrounded by a bawn wall. One of the house windows possesses a balcony. The imposing entrance is gated. Each of the two front corners of the enclosing wall features a low tower which appears more ornamental than defensive. In the foreground is a body of water, seeming to evoke the Shannon, with a ship and a smaller sailing boat. On the bank below the castle, three figures are sketched. Cavalry and a troop of foot soldiers with lances are represented by a fragment of printed plate pasted upon the drawing. The image is enclosed within an octagonal frame.
By 1867 Stonehall Castle no longer existed and the dwelling house was in ruins (Shirley et al. (eds) 1867, 81). The buldings were located close to Shannon Airport and were finally reduced to rubble in 1954 by Aer Rianta. Local tradition placed the cut-stone entrance on the north side of the castle. However, in that case the river would lie beyond the castle, not in front of it.

Sources:
The Archaeological Survey of Ireland, at http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/, record nos CL051-124001 and CL051-124. Accessed 26.10.2014.
William Gerrard Ryan, A survey of monuments of archaeological and historical interest in the barony of Bunratty Lower, Co. Clare (M.A. thesis, University College Cork, 1980), at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/ryan/. Accessed 29.12.2013.
Evelyn Philip Shirley et al. (eds), ‘Extracts from the Journal of Thomas Dineley, Esquire’, Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society, new series, vol. 6, no. 1 (1867), p. 81.

Inscribed in Image

Caption within boundaries of image – Ballyclogh castle
Caption outside of boundaries of image – Ballyclogh belonging to Captain Thomas Cullen

Image Details

Genre	Landscape
Technique	Collages, Engravings, Pen and ink drawings
Subject(s)	Antiquities and archaeological sites, Architecture, Forts and fortifications
Geographical Location	Clare - County Munster - Province Ballyclogh Castle, near Shannon - Castle
Keywords(s)	Archaeological sites, Armour, Balconies, Bays (Bodies of water), Birds, Boats, Buildings, Castles, Flags, Gardens & parks, Gates, Hats, Hills, Mansions, Men, People, Rivers, Soldiers, Towers, Trees
Colour	Handcoloured
Dimensions	10.8 cm x 12.5 cm
Published / created	1681

Bibliographical Details

Travel Account	Observations in a Voyage through the Kingdom of Ireland
Contributor(s)	Thomas Dineley — Role: Author of travel text Thomas Dineley — Role: Draughtsman
Print or manuscript	Manuscript
Location of image in copy	p. 166
Source copy	National Library of Ireland MS 392
Permalink	https://ttce.universityofgalway.ie/irelandillustrated/?id=ii_image_1374761149&object_type=image&ttce_function=5
Rights	Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Related text from travel account

Five miles from Six mile bridge, eleven from Limerick 8 from Ennis, and 3 miles from Rathlahine Castle is Ballyclogh Castle, held (for 3 lives by Tho Cullen Esq^r Justice of the Peace,) of S^r Henry Ingoldsby. This Castle is adorned with some moderne building according to the sketch on the other side this leafe.
[p. 166] Ballyclogh belonging to Captain Thomas Cullen
[image: Ballyclogh castle]
Besides this, are 3 Castles more in this Kingdome w^ch go by the name of Ballyclogh. viz two in the County of Limerick, One belonging to Lieut^t Col Eaton, Another to Quartermaster Whitroe & a 3^d to M^r Pordam [Purdon] in the county of Cork. [pp. 165-166]