Fortane More

22 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Fortane More, from 1,820 m² to 254,569 m² (25.46 ha, 62.91 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 19 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Fortane More in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 19 Mar 2024Conditional

  for the following development: 1. for the construction of a detached domestic garage and new onsite wastewater treatment system, bored well, together with all associated ancillary and incidental site works 2. Retention permission for as-built alterations to the dwelling previously permitted (Planning Reference 07/2909 refers) comprising the provision of first floor accommodation, installation of rooflights to the front and rear elevations, together with all associated ancillary and incidental site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 2460120

• 21 Sept 2022Conditional

  to construct dwelling house, garage, bored well, waste water treatment system, percolation area, entrance and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 22845

• 20 May 2020Conditional

  to construct a dwelling house, waste water treatment system with percolation area and associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 20320

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Fortane More.

Recorded monuments

• CL027-036 Castle - tower house
  Description

  In rough pasture, on a limestone rock outcrop (Wth 14m; H 3.5m), in a generally low-lying and gently undulating landscape, overlooking Castle Lough and Maryfort Lough to W. There is a lot of limestone rock outcrop in the immediate vicinity, which appears to have been quarried in antiquity. The remains of a long rectangular building (CL027-036002-) lie 15m to the NW. The monument is depicted on all OS historic mapping and is named ‘Fortane Castle (in ruins)’ on the 1920 edition of the OS 6-inch map. According to Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997, attached), it was built by Rory MacNamara between 1440 and 1480 near the site of a battle which had taken place some 200 years earlier between Turlough O’Brien and Thomas De Clare. The castle was held by the MacNamaras until the settlements of the 1641 rebellion, when it was granted to the McGraths (ibid.). The McGraths appear to have held Fortane Castle until sometime after 1691, when it was forfeited. EXTERIOR Only the W wall of the tower house remains (L 14.3m; min. T 1.6m; max. T 2.2m) standing to three storeys high, along with a short return of the S wall (L 4.75m; T 1.1m) and a very short return (L 2.2m) of the N wall. There is no trace of the E wall. The facing-stones on the W elevation are largely missing at ground and first-floor level, albeit in situ at second and third-floor levels. These consist of roughly squared blocks of limestone of varying sizes. The surviving quoinstones are large hewn blocks of limestone which are roughly dressed, yet appear to be relatively small in proportion to the size of the structure. They are mostly gone at the SW and NW corners and only survive at second- and third-floor level. The W wall stands to three storeys and has two broken-out openings at ground level, at the N end and off-centre to N. The base of the garderobe chute is off-centre to S and it is broken out above, at first and second-floor levels, except a short portion just above second-floor level. There is a long, broken-out, flat window opening at first-floor level, at the N end. The remains of a window opening in the centre are broken out. The garderobe chute is broken out to the immediate S, and together with the missing window, forms one large breach in the centre of the W elevation. A second, long flat opening is broken out at the S end of the first-floor level. The second-floor level has a long broken-out window opening toward the N end. The remains of a second window opening are located in the centre and have a lintel and some jambstones in situ on the N side. The only surviving intact window opening in the whole structure is at third-floor level, at the S end of the W wall. It is a tall, plain, flat-headed loop with splayed jambstones. The remains of a possible broken slop-stone are located near the top of the surviving W wall, at the N end. This may indicate that a parapet level (now completely gone) was directly above. The short return of the S wall contains a narrow loop at ground-floor level which is partially choked by an accumulation of debris from the collapsed S wall. The remains of a possible opening forms part of the broken wall-end at first-floor level. The W side of a broken-out window embrasure is located at second-floor level. The type of plain, splayed jambstones would suggest that it is similar to the intact loop high up on the W elevation. A substantial block of intact masonry has fallen from the S wall. This is likely to be derived from the portion of the S wall which has fallen since it was recorded by Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997). Only the broken end of the N wall is evident at the NW corner and there are no features surviving in it. INTERIOR The ground-floor level is choked with a backfill of masonry derived from the collapsed walls. This completely obscures the S half of the W wall at this level. A small, partially blocked opening is evident at the N end of the W wall. It has a lintelled doorway (Wth 0.7m) which leads into a guardroom (2.05m N-S; 1m E-W; H 2.16m) which has a wall-niche (Wth 0.57m; H 0.62m; D 0.54m) in the S wall. A splayed window embrasure in the W wall contains a window opening (H 0.23m; D 0.64m; Wth int. 0.52m; Wth ext. 0.32m). The positioning of the guardroom at this location suggests that the main entrance was in the N wall, which is now completely missing. A lintelled window off-centre to N is blocked at base to half its height. This window sits in a wide embrasure with straight ingoings. Two large corbels are located at the N side of the embrasure and one at the S which seem to support the ceiling of the embrasure. The garderobe chute is off-centre to S. The broken remains of a vault (long-axis E-W) spring from the W wall, off-centre to N at ground-floor level indicating that part of the ground-floor level was vaulted. The first-floor level has the remains of a pointed wicker-centred vault over a room (Wth 3m N-S) in the SW corner. It has a window embrasure (Wth 1.8m) with partially broken out, splayed ingoings at the S end of the W wall. What appears to be some kind of chute or flue extends from above the window lintel, perhaps suggesting alterations. A broken wall end (L 1.1m; T 1.1m) making a right-angle turn adjacent to N would suggest this was a narrow vaulted chamber. A substantial breach off-centre to S of the W wall appears to have contained a garderobe chute (Wth 1.65m; D 0.75m) and a window embrasure (Wth 1.3m) of which the remains survive. A small wall-niche is located to the immediate N. The remains of a possible mural chamber are located in the NW corner. It has a tall window embrasure in the W wall which has a straight ingoing to S and is splayed to N. The ceiling has a pointed wicker-centred vault and the floor is largely broken out and uneven. A mural creepway (long-axis N-S) extends from the S side of this chamber. The second floor contains a narrow chamber in the SW corner with a pointed vault. It has an embrasure with splayed ingoings in the W wall. Corbels above, in the N and S wall may be associated with a timber roof structure. The remains of a box niche are in the N wall at the W end. The remains of a second chamber with pointed vault are off-centre to S. This contains a broken garderobe chute and the remains of a broken-out window embrasure of which only the gently curving N splay and lintel stones are in situ. A third similar vaulted chamber is off-centre to N in the W wall, lit by a broken-out window embrasure. Only the gently curving splay of the N side of embrasure is partially intact. Another curious chute extends into this wall gradually upwards and reaches a rectangular opening high up near third-floor level. This appears as a put-log hole on the exterior but it may have been some form of look-out. The remains of a springing vault for a window embrasure/ceiling in the return of the N wall are evident at the N end of the W wall. Only the relieving arch of a ground-floor window embrasure in the S wall is visible above the rubble backfill material that obscures most of the ground-floor level. The W side of a window embrasure with a splayed ingoing is evident at first-floor level. Only part of the lintel and sill are in situ and the rest forms part of a broken wall end. The remains of this embrasure and a short portion of the S wall were recorded in situ by Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997), however this seems to have since fallen along with a similar embrasure directly above, at second-floor level. The following items are uploaded: CL027-036----_01.pdf Details from Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen, The Castles and Tower-houses of Co. Clare (unpublished report). Uploaded courtesy of R. Ua Cróinín and M. Breen. CL027-036----_01.jpg From SE. General view of monument. CL027-036----_02.jpg From ENE. General view of monument. CL027-036----_03.jpg From ENE. General view of interior and bawn. CL027-036----_04.jpg From S. Short return of S wall. CL027-036----_05.jpg From SE. Oblique view of short return of S wall. CL027-036----_06.jpg

• CL027-036002 Building
  Description

  In low-lying terrain, c. 9m NW of Fortane More towerhouse (CL027-036----). A long rectangular building (int. dims. 20.4m SW-NE; 9m NW-SE; ext. dims. 22.5m SW-NE; 11.4m NW-SE) defined by the remains of wall foundations (H generally 0.1-0.5m) best preserved at SE, SW and NW (H 0.4m). These comprise an inner and outer kerbing of stones with a rubble core, best preserved at SE (Wth 1.2m). There is an entrance gap (Wth 2.7m) in the N half of the NW wall. The NE wall is reduced to rubble. A SW-NE field bank extends NE from the NW wall and another abuts this at right angles. The location and size of the building suggest it was associated with the tower house and stone for both appears to have been quarried locally. A natural platform (13m x 8m) c. 20m to the W could have served as a house platform. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ines Hagen Date of upload: 17 December 2018

• CL027-037 House - 17th century
  Description

  Situated on a hill overlooking 'Fortane Castle' (CL027-036----) and Castle Lough to the NW. A five-bay house with a central porch facing SE. A small one-bay extension is located at the back of the N side. The building is partly covered with ivy. The windows at the front are sash windows, the two outer ones are missing. There is a farmyard and some adjoining buildings to the NW. Weir (1986, 129-30) describes both the external and internal features. The roof is of corrugated asbestos and there are four chimneys (not 3 as in Weir's illustration). Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ines Hagen Date of upload: 11 December 2018

• CL027-038 Enclosure
  Description

  On a N-facing slope, in pasture and scrub with reasonable views NW-NE, although inhibited by forestry in foreground. Depicted on all OS historic mapping. A roughly oval area (24m E-W; 21m N-S) defined by the low remains of an earthen bank (int. H 0.75m; ext. H 0.1m; Wth at top 1m; overall Wth 5.2m) ENE-WSW in pasture (across the southern two-thirds of monument). Where the enclosing elements are in scrub (across the northern one-third), the monument is defined by a relatively steep scarp (Wth 2m; H 1.2m) on the downslope WSW-ENE. There appears to be a causeway (Wth 3.5m) leading up the exterior of the bank at E. The interior is bowl-shaped where it can be seen in pasture, on the upslope. It then levels off, where it has been raised (max. H 2m) above the external ground level to compensate for hillslope. Scrub across this area obscures most of the interior. The following images have been uploaded: CL027-038----_01.jpg From W. Cross-section view of bank at S. CL027-038----_02.jpg From E. Causeway at E. CL027-038----_03.jpg From S. General view of monument (2m rod either side). Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 11 December 2018

• CL027-039 Quarry
  Description

  In pasture on a low plateau, overlooking lower rough, poorly drained pasture to immediate NW-E. Listed as 'Enclosure' in the SMR (1992) and the RMPL (1996). Not indicated on the 1842 edition of the OS 6-inch map. It is depicted on the 1899 edition of the 25-inch OS map and named ‘Gravel Pit (disused)’ and is shown as a hachured area on the 1920 edition of the OS 6-inch map. On inspection in 2018 it was found to consist of a low plateau area (c. 14m N-S; c. 12m E-W) with an uneven surface. It is defined by a naturally formed scarp (Wth 12m; H 1.5m) NNE-E and a low rise marking a central depression NE-ESE and SW-NW. This depression (D 0.1m) probably marks the backfilled gravel pit, as shown upon the 25-inch OS map. Loose limestone rocks are protruding above the ground surface across this feature. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 11 December 2018

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Fortane More.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Fortane More, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred. Parts of the land are water.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Fortane More.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Fortane More with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Clare.

Name

Fortane More · An Feartán Mór

Area

1,176,723 m² (117.67 ha, 290.77 acres)

Civil parish

Tulla, and its townlands

Barony

Tulla Upper

Electoral division

Ballynahinch, the unit of the census

Census 2022

252 people lived in 93 households in the Ballynahinch electoral division. 89% of households owned their home. 21% of homes were built since 2001. 20% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 5% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Annaghneal, Clogher, Fortane Beg, Maryfort or Lismeehan, Rosslara

Placenames

Fortane More on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.