Castle, Castle Island, Co. Galway
On a small rise in the southeast corner of Castle Island, tucked away in the northern half of Lough Cutra in County Galway, stands a weathered square tower house that has seen better days.
Castle, Castle Island, Co. Galway
This modest fortification, measuring roughly 7 metres on each side, still manages to reach two storeys despite centuries of neglect. The tower’s most distinctive features include its rounded external corners and a pronounced base batter, though the southern corner has partially collapsed over time. The southwest wall appears to have undergone some reconstruction at an unknown date, evidenced by the reused dressed stones incorporated into its fabric, which give it a noticeably different character from the other walls.
The ground floor consists of a single chamber, accessed through a doorway in the southwest wall whose lower section remains intact. Light would have filtered through narrow lancet windows set into the northwest and southeast walls; the northwestern window features a round arch whilst its southeastern counterpart has a pointed arch and retains its original spudstone for securing shutters. The northeastern wall houses a remarkably well preserved fireplace, constructed from finely dressed and chamfered stone, with another fireplace positioned directly above it on the first floor. Small alcoves or possible chutes flank the windows, adding to the tower’s defensive capabilities.
Evidence of the tower’s original internal structure remains visible throughout. Corbels projecting from the northwest wall indicate that wooden floors once separated the levels, whilst corner openings on the first floor would have given access to bartizans, small overhanging turrets supported by corbels that can still be spotted on the external walls. Another splayed window, now covered in ivy, pierces the northwest wall of the upper floor. Despite its ruinous state, this tower house offers a tangible connection to medieval Irish life, when such structures provided both residence and refuge for local families navigating the uncertainties of their time.