Castle, Carneycastle, Co. Tipperary North

Castle, Carneycastle, Co. Tipperary North

Standing on open pasture with sweeping views across the North Tipperary countryside, Carneycastle presents a striking example of a medieval tower house in various stages of preservation.

Castle, Carneycastle, Co. Tipperary North

The most substantial remnant is the western wall of the four-storey tower, which rises dramatically from the landscape alongside partial sections of the north and south walls. The eastern wall has long since vanished, leaving the structure open to the elements like a stage set against the Irish sky.

The surviving tower house reveals fascinating construction details from its medieval builders. A barrel vault spans the first floor, demonstrating the sophisticated engineering skills of the time, whilst the upper floors once featured wooden floors supported by substantial stone corbels that still project from the walls. These corbels, large brackets carved from stone, would have carried heavy oak beams that divided the tower into its various levels; a common feature in Irish tower houses where timber was more readily available than stone for internal structures.



Surrounding the tower are the remains of a defensive bawn wall, originally built to protect livestock and provide an outer line of defence. This wall, constructed from roughly coursed limestone rubble with a distinctive base batter for added stability, connects to the tower at its southwest and northeast corners, creating an enclosed area measuring approximately 35 metres east to west and 47 metres north to south. The southern wall features an impressive round-arched gateway, its punch-dressed jambs and decorative hood moulding speaking to a later refinement of the defensive structure. Within this protected space, a nineteenth-century house and outhouse now stand, representing a later chapter in the site’s long occupation, when comfort and domesticity replaced military concerns.

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Carneycastle, Co. Tipperary North
52.96023264, -8.18615272
52.96023264,-8.18615272
Carneycastle 
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