Glensleade

2 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Glensleade, from 591 m² to 858,489 m² (85.85 ha, 212.14 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 9 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 Glensleade 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.

No planning application touches the townland of Glensleade in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Moneen Mountain SAC 000054
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Moneen Mountain 000054

Recorded monuments

• CL005-126 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  On a SE-facing slope, adjacent to the townland boundary between Glensleade and Baur North, in a damp field of rushes but with views over the lower damp ground to the SE. Indicated and named 'Toberinneenboy' on the 1842 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. O’Curry (Comber 1997, 77) recorded it as dedicated to ‘St Innyee or Inghean Bhaoith (the daughter of Boetius) the great Patroness of the Dalcassians, whose memory was annually revered… on the 29th of December’. A spring well and associated pond are visible at this location. A small stone circular structure (diam. c. 3.2m; H 0.4-0.6m) (CL005-126002-) inside a larger slightly oval one (7m E-W; 6m N-S; H 0.8m) with a possible entrance at E lie 16m to the NNE and may be the well or may be a penitential station associated with it. According to local tradition (Kirby 2021) leaving an offering at the well would cure warts. Reference: Kirby, T. 2021 Tobar Iníon Baoith, Glensleade. The Clare Holy Wells Project Available @ https://heritage.clareheritage.org/places/holy-wells/tobar-inion-baoith-glensleade. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 5 April 2023

• CL005-126002 Penitential station
  Description

  On a SE-facing slope in a damp field of rushes, 16m north of a natural spring well and pond. A small circular stone structure (diam. c. 3.2m; H 0.4-0.6m) inside a larger oval one (7m E-W; 6m N-S; H 0.8m). There is a gap in the outer ring at E marking a possible entrance. This may be a penitential station associated with the holy well or it may be the well itself. There are no structural remains at the pond or any evidence of veneration. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 5 April 2023

• CL005-127 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  At the base of an E-facing rocky slope, in rough pasture largely overgrown with hazel. Indicated and named 'Tobercolman' on the 1842 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. O’Curry (Comber 1997, 77) recorded it as dedicated to ‘St Colman of Bairé’ and recorded that in 1839 there was a memory of Stations being performed at it, but that these had ceased. The national folklore collection records people visiting the townland in the 1930s, leaving offerings and a belief that the well water held a cure for the eyes (trans. in Kirby 2021). O’Curry (ibid.) also wondered if that Colman was the Colman Mac Duach of Oughtmama, an understanding seemingly followed by Ní Gabhláin (1995, 488-490). A small natural spring with a small pond c. 10m to its NE is visible at the location indicated on the OS map. Reference: Kirby, T. 2021 Tobar Iníon Baoith, Glensleade. The Clare Holy Wells Project Available @ https://heritage.clareheritage.org/places/holy-wells/saint-colmans-well-tobar-cholman-bhaire-tobar-colman-baur-glensleade Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 5 April 2023

• CL005-128001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  On a steep rise with a cliff-edge falling away to the W and NW, within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). Indicated and named ‘Glensleade Castle (in ruins)’ on the 1842 and 1916 eds of the OS 6-inch maps. Apart from a short forfeiture to Edmond Barret in 1595, it belonged to the O’Loughlin clan from the late 16th century until the rebellion of 1641 (Ua Croinín and Breen 1997, 59). After the rebellion it passed to Comyns, Macnamaras and Ralph Wilson. It was likely dismantled by the Cromwellian commissioners c. 1654. A poorly surviving tower house of which only sections of the north wall (L 11m; H 3m; T 2m) survive, in which are the remains of a large, squared embrasure (H 1m; Wth 1.8m) under an arched vault, traces of a stairwell and two loops, one inwardly splaying into the large square embrasure and the other surviving only as a single jam above the stairwell. The outer face of the wall is defaced but dressed stone, some fine, survives on the S side around its features. Roof corbels project from either side of, and just above, the main embrasure and an almost buried stone arch is visible on the exterior W wall of the tower. Rubble mounds to the S of the surviving wall may conceal more in situ wall footings. The site is surrounded by a bawn (CL005-128002-). The following items have been uploaded: CL005-128001-_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. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 5 April 2023

• CL005-128002 Bawn
  Description

  Surrounding a tower house (CL005-128----) and within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). A rectangular bawn (25m E-W; 20m N-S) defined by a wall (int. H 0.5-0.6m; ext. H 1.4-1.8m) surviving at W and N built from roughly hewn horizontally laid limestone blocks. Its E line is traceable in rubble and as a scarp. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 5 April 2023

• CL005-138 Enclosure
  Description

  Situated on the S slope of a slight ridge with good views to S but limited views in other directions. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). On inspection in 1998 this was found to be a four-sided enclosure (diam. c. 30m) defined by an apparently modern drystone wall. There is an entrance near the S end of the E wall. The perimeter is largely overgrown with blackthorn. Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 20 January 2016

• CL005-140001 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On a SE-facing slope in elevated rocky pasture near the top of a pronounced ridge with clear views NE-NW and within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). Indicated and named ‘Caheranardurrish’ on the 1839 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. A subcircular cashel (28m N-S; 29m E-W) defined by a battered wall of coursed limestone blocks (max. H 2m; Wth c. 0.8m). External wall facing is present around most of the monument, but no clear original inner facing survives. The wall is low and fragmentary to the NE, SE and SW, with a wide band of collapsed rubble around the interior walls (Wth c. 2.8m). A doorway roofed by three lintels is present in the wall at the ESE (Wth c. 1.4m; int. H 1m; ext. H 1.45m). The internal NE quadrant of the cashel is partitioned by low stone banks aligned N-S, NE-SW and E-W, and two semicircular pens abut the inter wall-face to the E. Westropp (1899, 380) noted a possible ‘small cist’ beneath some rubble ESE of the centre. On inspection in 1998 the remaining stones were found to be not well set and possibly recent. The rubble may represent the remains of a house (CL005-140002-) and the cist-like feature may have been associated with it.   Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell   Date of upload: 14 October 2025

• CL005-140002 Megalithic structure
  Description

  Within a cashel (CL005-140001-). Westropp (1899, 379-80) described a feature ESE of the centre of a cashel as follows: ‘In the centre of the garth used to be a heap of stones suggestive of a fallen clochan. This is now cleared away, and only a small cist remains, 3 feet wide and at least 9 feet long, with a partition of slabs in the middle. This may have been one of those strange little slab enclosures to be seen in the floors of several Irish and Welsh forts and Scotch brochs’. This was listed in the RMP (1996) as a ‘Megalithic structure’ on the basis of the term ‘cist’. On inspection in 1998 the remains were found to consist of a number of loosely set upright stones (max. H 0.65m) forming a subrectangular feature (2m N-S; 1.4m E-S). The stones may have formed part of a house structure.    Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell   Date of upload: 14 October 2025

• CL005-141001 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  On the S edge of a limestone ridge in elevated rocky pasture with good views to the S and E. Within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). Depicted as an enclosure on the 1916 OS 6-inch map. Noted by Westropp (1899, 380) as a ‘a very small circular fort, with walls 5 feet thick, and barely 3 feet or 4 feet high; the gateway faced south’. A subcircular cashel (21m NNE-SSW; 19.5m WNW-ESE) defined by a stone wall (Wth 1m). Segments of outer wall-facing survive from NW to NNE (H 1.7m) and at the WSW. Inner facing is only evident at the NNW (H 1.3m). The wall has been rebuilt around much of the monument. A gap at SSE (Wth 1.5m) appears to be original; breaks in the wall fabric at the NNE and WNW appear modern. A small internal structure (CL005-141006-) abuts the SE cashel wall. A rectilinear cashel (CL005-141002-) is located c. 15m to the SSE and another cashel (CL005-140001-) lies c. 110m to the NNW.    Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell   Date of upload: 3 November 2025

• CL005-141002 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  In elevated rocky pasture on an E-facing slope with sharply falling ground to the E and good views to the E. Within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). Indicated as an enclosure on the 1916 OS 6-inch map. Noted by Westropp (1899, 380) as a ‘well-built bawn, lined on the inside with upturned slabs’. A square cashel (30m N-S; 30m E-W) defined by rubble-filled double-faced stone walls (Wth 1-1.2m) with a basal course of very large stones, sitting directly on a limestone outcrop at the E end of the S wall. The walls survive best on the W half of the monument. Portions of outer wall-facing (H 2.3m) and inner wall-facing (H 2m) survive on the S and W walls. There is no clear entrance. The interior is significantly higher to the W and SW. Bowmer (2019, 65-6; pers. comm. 2020, SMR file) included this as a ‘light-walled rectilinear cashel’ and he noted the remains of a possible hut site (CL005-141003-) abutting the interior of the N wall towards the E with a possible souterrain (CL005-141004-) at its W end and another possible hut site (CL005-141005-) in the SE corner. A circular cashel (CL005-141001-) is located c. 15m to the NNW.    Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell   Date of upload: 20 October 2025

• CL005-141003 Hut site
  Description

  Abutting the interior of the N wall of a cashel (CL005-141002-). A possible hut site (c. 2.5m E-W; c.  1.6m N-S). Bowmer (pers. comm, SMR file) noted that a partly buried lintel (greater than 1.5m) within this hut, placed slightly above ground level and perpendicular to the cashel wall seems to have given access to a small space underground. This may be a souterrain (CL005-141004-).   Compiled by: Mary Tunney   Date of upload: 20 October 2025

• CL005-141004 Souterrain
  Description

  Within a possible hut site (CL005-141003-), abutting the N wall of a rectilinear cashel (CL005-141002-). Bowmer (pers. comm. 2020, SMR file) noted that a ‘partly buried lintel (greater than 1.5m) placed slightly above ground level and perpendicular to the cashel wall seems to have given access to a small space underground.’   Compiled by: Mary Tunney   Date of upload: 20 October 2025

• CL005-141006 House - indeterminate date
  Description

  Abutting the internal SE wall of a cashel (CL005-141001-). The remains of a structure (int. 4m SW-NE; 2.5m NW-SE) defined by curving walls (H 0.7m).    Compiled by: Mary Tunney   Date of upload: 3 November 2025

• CL005-196 Enclosure
  Description

  On a slight rise in improved pasture c. 95m SW of Glensleade Castle (CL005-128001-) with commanding views from SE to NE, and within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). The S portion is depicted as a curving field boundary on the 1916 OS 6-inch map. A subcircular enclosure (int. 13m N-S; 11m E-W) defined by an earth and stone scarp (ext. H 0.6-1m) and a spread (Wth 2.6m) to the S where it is overlain by a drystone field wall. Stone is visible in the fabric of the scarp to the NE.    Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell   Date of upload: 7 October 2025

Architectural heritage

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

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 Glensleade, about 1 in 5 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.

Terrain model

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

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 Glensleade with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Clare.

Name

Glensleade · Gleann Slaod

Area

859,550 m² (85.96 ha, 212.4 acres)

Civil parish

Kilcorney, and its townlands

Barony

Burren

Electoral division

Noughaval, the unit of the census

Neighbouring townlands

Baur North, Gleninsheen, Lisgoogan, Poulanine, Poulgorm, Poulnabrone, Poulnabrucky

Placenames

Glensleade 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.