Castle, Pallas Upper, Co. Tipperary North
Standing on a low hillock above the Clodiagh River valley in Pallas Upper, County Tipperary North, this modest tower house offers a glimpse into Ireland's medieval past.
Castle, Pallas Upper, Co. Tipperary North
The castle occupies a naturally defensive position on the northeast-facing slope, where the land has been deliberately shaped to enhance its fortifications. The hillock was scarped on its northeastern side to create a steep drop of nearly three metres, forming part of a bailey that measures approximately 40 metres from southeast to northwest and 24 metres across its width.
The tower house itself is a small, rectangular structure built from roughly coursed sandstone rubble, featuring the characteristic base-batter common to Irish tower houses. Today, only the southeast wall stands relatively intact at two storeys high, with fragments of the northeast and southwest walls still visible; the northwest wall has completely vanished. The defensive bailey surrounding the tower was further protected by a shallow fosse, or defensive ditch, cut along the southwestern approach where the natural slope provided less protection.
Historical records paint a picture of decline by the mid-17th century. The Civil Survey of 1654-6 described it as ‘a small castle out of repaire’, suggesting it had already fallen into disuse following the tumultuous years of the Confederate Wars. In 1640, the property belonged to Walter Butler of Noddstowne, placing it within the extensive Butler lordship that dominated much of medieval Tipperary. Despite its ruined state, the remains offer valuable insights into the smaller defensive structures that once dotted the Irish countryside, serving as both residences and strongholds for minor gentry families.





