Writing in 1893, Gillman described the site as a fortified manor house supposedly built by Teige of Aglish, an important figure amongst the Muskerry MacCarthys. By Gillman’s time, however, the structure had already vanished, leaving behind only what he called ‘a bare patch of meadow’. Today, even that meadow lies beneath the waters of the Lee Valley, submerged when the area was flooded as part of the hydro-electric scheme that transformed this part of Cork in the mid-20th century.

The true origins of the mansion remain disputed. Whilst local tradition long held that the MacCarthys, one of Munster’s most powerful Gaelic families, had built a stronghold here, historian Healy challenged this narrative in 1988. He argued that no MacCarthy structure ever stood on the site; instead, he suggested the mansion was actually an 18th-century construction by the Kingston family, who held considerable estates in the area during that period. The Kingstons were part of the Protestant Ascendancy who came to prominence after the Williamite Wars, making them relative newcomers compared to the ancient MacCarthy lineage.

Whether built by Gaelic lords or Georgian landowners, the Old Mansion House has left little physical trace. Its story survives only through historical records and local memory, whilst the site itself rests beneath the reservoir’s waters; a reminder of how Ireland’s drive towards modernisation in the 20th century sometimes came at the cost of its archaeological heritage. The conflicting accounts of its origins reflect the broader complexities of Irish history, where oral tradition, written records, and archaeological evidence don’t always align neatly.