Quarrymount

Area

51,241 m² (5.12 ha, 12.66 acres)

Buildings

No building touches it.

Zoning

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

Townland

Quarrymount

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel 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

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 10 recorded monuments.

• GA016-061 Church
  Description

  On a slight rise in undulating pastureland. On inspection in October 1984, only the low grassed-over foundation lines (max. H 0.5m) of this very poorly preserved rectangular church (15.4m E-W; 4.6m N-S; wall T 0.8m) survived. It was constructed of roughly dressed stone and gravelly mortar. Gaps were noted towards the E end of the S wall (Wth 1.3m) and the W end of the N wall (Wth 0.9m). No architectural features survived. A curving earthen bank encircling the foot of the rise from E to SW appeared to be part of the landscaping associated with Quarrymount House to the NNE. There was no evidence of an associated graveyard. On the basis of the lack of any grave-markers and the fact that no burials came to light during road developments within 1.8m of the church in 1997, FitzPatrick (2019, 27) has suggested that the building may have had an alternative function and that it may have been the school house of Ó hUiginn ollamh. FitzPatrick (ibid., 28) further suggests that the medieval church may have been located in Kilcloony graveyard (GA016-063001-) c. 650m to the SE (see GA016-063005-). Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-) lies c. 280m to the S. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 2 December 2022

• GA016-061001 Designed landscape feature
  Description

  The Archaeological Survey of Ireland (ASI) is in the process of providing information on all monuments on The Historic Environment Viewer (HEV). Currently the information for this record has not been uploaded. To access available information for research purposes please make an appointment in advance with the Archive Unit (open Fridays 10.00 am – 5.00 pm), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, The Custom House, Dublin 1 D01W6XO or email NMarchive@housing.gov.ie.

• GA016-062001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  In grassland on a SSE-NNW running ridge overlooking boggy land to the SW. Only two storeys survive of this poorly preserved tower house (ext. dims. 10.6m E-W; 9.2m N-S), which extends into the NW corner of an associated bawn (GA016-062005-). When initially inspected in August 1980, a Bord Fáilte plaque fixed to the N wall provided the following details: ‘Kilclooney Castle and Bardic School. Tower house – 15th-16th century date – home of a bardic family of O’Higgins. The rath of Kilclooney (souterrain still extant) is a short distance to the N. Tadhg Dall Ó hUigín of Sligo (1545-1593) refers to a school of poetry here in the 16th century; ‘seventeen poets of Ulster’s brightest progeny sought learning in Kilclooney of Connacht’. Occupied by Donal Ohigin in 1574. Bryen, Hugh and Tully O Higgin held three parts of Kilclooney in 1641, but their lands were granted to William Burke at the restoration’ (SMR file, 1980). On re-inspection in October 1984, it was noted that the tower house was built on a plinth (H 0.15m) and the double-faced walls were constructed of squared-off mortared limestone blocks with a rubble core. A slight base-batter was evident. A lot of the external wall-facing, particularly on the N and E walls had been robbed out, exposing the rubble core. Most of the surviving architectural features were also either robbed out or destroyed. Access was gained via the robbed-out doorway in the S wall, which was protected by a gun loop in the wall to its E. Immediately inside the doorway there was a small lobby, off which another robbed-out doorway, to its W, led to the barrel-vaulted guardroom. Well-preserved wicker-centring survived on the roof of the vault. A slit window in the W wall was almost completely blocked up. To the E of the lobby access was gained to the spiral stairs in the SE corner and the doorway to the main ground-floor chamber. The roof in this area had collapsed. Only a few of the lower steps of the spiral stairs survived. The stairwell itself was lit by two slit windows. The lower one was intact and its external stonework was dressed. All that survived of the upper one was its slightly splayed rectangular embrasure. A semi-pointed doorway, the only feature that survived intact, accessed the main ground-floor chamber, which was lit by slit windows set in deep embrasures placed off-centre in the W and N walls. Wicker-centring survived on the embrasure of that in the N wall. The wall was breached where the window had been located in the E wall and all that remained of it was its arched embrasure, also wicker-centred. The only feature noted in the S wall was a small partially blocked-up wall-cupboard (Wth 0.54m; H 0.32m) at a height of 0.6m above the ground level. Corbels that carried the beams which supported the wooden floor of the first floor survived in the E and W walls. At 1st-floor level, there was formerly a subsidiary chamber above the main doorway and guardroom. It was lit by a cusped single-light ogee-headed window in the S wall; the window was blocked up and externally only the dressed stones of the window head survived. A doorway off the stairwell would have accessed the main 1st-floor chamber. All that survived of it were the remains of its hanging eye and a single piece of cut and dressed stone. The only other feature visible internally was the centrally placed large arched rectangular embrasure of the window in the N wall. Again wicker-centring survived on the arch. Externally near the N end of the cross-wall a recess was visible in the wall. The barrel-vaulted roof over this floor was intact and its wicker-centring was well preserved. The tower house has been the focus of a detailed survey of the settlement of the Uí hUiginn poets by FitzPatrick (2019) and all of the features noted above are still intact, apart from the lower steps of the spiral stairs. Fitzpatrick (ibid., 11-12) noted that the what was described as a wall-cupboard above, though partially blocked, extended right through the wall and was visible externally towards the base of the wall of the lobby. Its purpose was unclear; it may have functioned as squint or it may have been used for passing items to or from the lobby to the main ground-floor chamber. However, its position so close to the ground is odd. Further security features recorded included a yett hole and bar-slot in the wall to the E of the entrance doorway, the bar-slot of a robbed-out doorway to the E of the lobby, and the bar-slot of the doorway into the main ground-floor chamber (ibid., 10-11; 13, 16; Fig. 6). A wall-cupboard was noted at the W end of the N wall of the guardroom (ibid., 12). Little of the wall fabric survived above the barrel vault. However, a breach at the S end of the W wall indicated the former position of a window on the 2nd-floor level. Also at this level, the wall recess noted above was identified as a mural chamber that would have led to a garderobe, which would have serviced the main 2nd-floor chamber. Its exit chute had become visible externally toward the base of the N wall as a result of the further robbing out of its facing-stones. Almost all of the external facing-stones on the E wall have now been removed (ibid., 22-3). On the basis of the survival of a number of rounded dressed quoinstones on the SW corner, the tower house can be dated to the 15th century (ibid., 9). Traces of a field system (GA016-062002-) are visible to the N, E and S of the tower house and a rath (GA061-064----) lies c. 140m to the NW. (Nolan 1901a, 117; CUCAP ATF 57; Alcock et al. 1999, 410) Under the Community Monuments Fund, conservations works were carried out on the tower house in 2021. The works concentrated on stabilising the tower and making it waterproof (Doherty 2021). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 1 December 2022

• GA016-062002 Field system
  Description

  In pastureland. Aerial reconnaissance (CUCAP ATF 57) in July 1967 revealed a series of small fields extending over an area c. 385m NNE-SSW by c. 200m E-W to the N, E and SE of ‘Kilcloony Castle’ (GA016-062001-), and a roadway (GA016-062004-), running N-S, to its E. On inspection in November 1990, the fields were defined by low earthen banks and traces of the roadway (Wth 5m) were also visible. Numerous modern field boundaries and cultivation ridges were also evident. It was unclear whether the field banks were associated with the tower house or were later but those immediately to its SE define its bawn (GA016-062005-). This area has since been the focus of a detailed survey of the settlement of the Uí hUiginn poets by FitzPatrick (2019, 24) and further segments of levelled broad earthen field banks have come to light in this field, to the N of the tower house. However, their curvilinear nature suggests they may be associated with the rath (GA016-064----) c. 150m to the NW (ibid.). See also GA016-062008-. (Alcock et al. 1999, 424) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 6 December 2022

• GA016-062004 Road - road/trackway
  Description

  In pastureland, c. 60m to the E of Kilclooy Castle (GA016-062001-). Aerial reconnaissance (CUCAP ATF 57) in July 1967 brought to light a field system (GA016-062002-) and an old roadway to its E. The roadway ran roughly SSE-NNW (L c. 140m) and then kinked to a more NNE direction (L c. 100m) and continued on to the old Galway-Tuam road. On inspection in November 1990, only traces (Wth 5m) of it were visible. Current aerial imagery (OSi DigitalGlobe 2011-2013) indicates that the re-aligned N17 cuts through its N limits. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 6 December 2022

• GA016-062005 Bawn
  Description

  Associated with Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-). On inspection in August 1980, this rectangular bawn (32.5m E-W; 28.5m N-S) was defined along its entire length by grassed-over wall-footings. The tower house jutted into its NW corner – the bawn wall extended off the SW corner of tower house and met it again to the N of its SE corner. Within the interior traces of two rectangular structures were noted, one in the NE corner (GA016-062006- and the other (GA016-062007-) in the S sector. The tower house and bawn have since been the focus of a detailed survey of the settlement of the Uí hUiginn poets by FitzPatrick (2019). Regarding the bawn, FitzPatrick (ibid., 23; Figs. 30 and 31) noted that a gap at the W end of the S wall may mark a possible entrance. Regarding the internal structures, without excavation, it is not possible to determine whether they are contemporary with tower house and bawn or post-date them. A possible enclosure (GA016-062008-) lies to the S of this bawn. Both are visible on an aerial photograph taken in July 1967 (CUCAP ATF 57). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 2 December 2022

• GA016-062006 Structure
  Description

  A rectangular structure (8m E-W; 5.7m N-S) was noted in the NE corner of the bawn (GA016-062005-) associated with Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-) on a site inspection in August 1980 (SMR file). Recent research by FitzPatrick (2019, 22-3, Fig. 31) indicates that it is larger in extent (c. 22m E-W; c. 8m N-S) and has two internal subdivisions. Without excavation it is not possible to determine whether it is contemporary with the bawn and tower house or is a later feature. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 6 December 2022

• GA016-062007 Structure
  Description

  Located in the SE sector of the bawn (GA016-062005-) associated with Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-). A rectangular structure (8.5m N-S; 3.9m E-W) was noted in this area of the bawn on a site inspection in August 1980 (SMR file). It may correlate with the 'square enclosure' (c. 21m E-W; c. 15m N-S) recorded by FitzPatrick (2019, 22-3, Fig. 31). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 2 December 2022

• GA016-062008 Enclosure
  Description

  During the course of a site inspection of Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-) and bawn (GA016-062005-) in August 1980, a possible enclosure was recorded to the SE of the bawn. It was indicated by a change in vegetation colour, which defined a rectangular area (26.5m E-W; 23m N-S). Some stone visible in the surface of the vegetation band (Wth 3.5m) indicated that it may have been the remains of a levelled wall that may have been an outer enclosure around the castle (SMR file). It is clearly visible on an aerial photograph taken in July 1967 (CUCAP ATF 57). It is also possible that this feature is part of the field system (GA016-062002-). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 6 December 2022

• GA016-125 Country house
  Description

  The Archaeological Survey of Ireland (ASI) is in the process of providing information on all monuments on The Historic Environment Viewer (HEV). Currently the information for this record has not been uploaded. To access available information for research purposes please make an appointment in advance with the Archive Unit (open Fridays 10.00 am – 5.00 pm), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, The Custom House, Dublin 1 D01W6XO or email NMarchive@housing.gov.ie.

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

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).

Ground and risks

Radon

At the centre of this parcel, 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 low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of this parcel.

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.

Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.