Site of Ballyglass Castle, Ballyglass Middle, Co. Galway
On a west-facing slope in the rolling pastures of Ballyglass Middle, County Galway, a modest grassy mound marks what remains of Ballyglass Castle.
Site of Ballyglass Castle, Ballyglass Middle, Co. Galway
The rectangular earthwork, stretching about seven metres from north-northwest to south-southeast and rising just over a metre high, offers little hint of its former significance. From this elevated position, visitors can gaze across the bogland that stretches to the south and west, much as the castle’s inhabitants once did centuries ago.
The site carries a particularly intriguing connection to local folklore through one of its former residents, known as ‘Nuala na meadoige’, whose name translates roughly to ‘Nuala of the dagger’. According to the Ordnance Survey Letters from 1927, this formidable woman was the mother of David Burke and gained considerable notoriety in the area, though the specific nature of her infamous reputation has been lost to time. Her association with the castle adds a layer of human drama to what might otherwise be dismissed as an unremarkable earthen mound.
Today, no architectural features remain visible above ground; the stones and timbers that once formed the castle have long since vanished, leaving only the raised platform where the structure stood. About 150 metres to the west lies a holy well, suggesting this area held spiritual as well as strategic importance for the local community. The archaeological record, documented in the 1999 inventory of North Galway, preserves what little physical evidence remains of this once-prominent stronghold and its colourful inhabitants.