Macroney Castle, Macroney Lower, Co. Cork
Macroney Castle stands on a plateau above the Araglin River in County Cork, its rectangular tower stretching 11.2 metres east to west and 7.5 metres north to south.
Macroney Castle, Macroney Lower, Co. Cork
What began as a medieval stronghold has undergone complete renovation into a private residence, with various additions wrapped around the original structure: a single-storey porch on the south side, a two-storey coach house to the east, and two single-storey extensions on the north. The tower itself may once have stood taller than its current three storeys, though today it sports a slated hipped roof tucked within recently added crenellated parapets that give it a rather romantic castle appearance.
The defensive nature of the original structure remains evident in several architectural features. A bartizan, or overhanging turret, still projects from the southwest corner, supported by three tapering corbels; matching corbels on the northeast corner suggest a second bartizan once provided additional defensive coverage. The tower’s base shows a distinctive batter extending about 1.1 metres high on all exposed faces, a common medieval technique that strengthened the foundation whilst making the walls harder to scale. The Mansergh family crest adorns the keystone above the main entrance arch, a reminder of their ownership since the late 17th century when they received the castle after it passed from the Condons, the original builders.
Recent restoration work has both preserved and obscured elements of the castle’s history. The ground floor receives light through narrow windows on the south and west walls, some fitted with modern hood mouldings that echo medieval design. Similar decorative touches appear on the eastern extension’s windows, creating visual unity between old and new. Whilst the interior remains private and unsurveyed, the exterior walls show careful repair work with raised pointing on the south and west faces, though the original stonework of the north and east walls lies hidden behind the modern additions. A disused chimney flue projecting from the north wall serves as one of the few untouched remnants of the castle’s domestic arrangements from centuries past.