A document from 1183 mentions an ‘old castle’ in Shandon, positioned near a stream that once flowed from the mill of St. Nessan westward towards the bridge. The casual reference suggests this fortification was already considered ancient even in the 12th century, raising intriguing questions about Cork’s earliest defensive structures.

The area around Shandon has transformed dramatically over the centuries, with urban development obscuring much of the medieval landscape. Where this castle might have stood, modern streets and buildings now dominate the hillside neighbourhood. The stream mentioned in the historical record has long since vanished beneath the city’s expansion, taking with it any obvious traces of the fortification that once guarded this strategic position overlooking the river valley.

Despite archaeological surveys and historical research conducted by scholars like Bradley and his colleagues in the 1980s, no physical evidence of this castle has been discovered. Its complete disappearance serves as a reminder of how much of Cork’s medieval heritage lies buried or lost beneath centuries of rebuilding and development. The phantom castle of Shandon remains one of those tantalising historical references; a structure important enough to be noted in official records, yet ephemeral enough to leave no trace for modern investigators to uncover.