Today, there’s nothing visible to mark the spot; no ruins pierce the grass, no stones break the surface. Yet according to those who know the land well, the foundations of this lost mansion reveal themselves as ghostly soil marks whenever the field is ploughed, offering fleeting glimpses of the past before disappearing again beneath the turned earth.

The O Donovan clan, whose Gaelic name translates to O’Donoghue in some historical records, were once prominent landholders in West Cork. Their seat at Clasharusheen would have been a significant structure in its day, serving as the administrative and social centre for the clan’s activities in the region. The complete absence of any standing remains suggests the building was likely dismantled stone by stone, its materials repurposed for other constructions in the area; a common fate for abandoned Irish manor houses and castles.

Archaeological surveys conducted for the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork in 1992 documented the site based on these local accounts and the ephemeral soil marks, though no excavation has been undertaken to confirm the exact nature or date of the structures. The phenomenon of foundations appearing during ploughing is well documented across Ireland, where centuries of agricultural activity have levelled once grand buildings, leaving only subtle traces in the soil composition to hint at their former glory.