A charming wooden bridge marks the entry point to the field where Ballymoon castle is situated. Ballymoon’s history is quite meager but its is believed it was built between 1290 and 1310 by either Roger Bigod or the Carew family. Unlike a lot of defensive castles of its time Ballymoon would have had a central courtyard surrounded by two or three story buildings. There are some defensive elements to the structure such as the high walls and cross shaped arrow loops but the amount of fireplaces and toilets would suggest it served mainly as a home. To the north wall a double fireplace would have served as the focal point of the great hall. Local folklore suggest that the inner courtyard walls were never finished and as there is no recorded history of the castle many believe it may never have even been occupied. Though the true history behind this structure may never be known it is a sight to behold and a lot of fun can be had exploring
GPS: 52.70019, -6.90664
Ballymoon. What a wonderful name. Amazing that it never made the annals of history, though.
Sometimes the mysterious castles are more fun!
What an interesting old place, and I love its name!
Would love to see what you think it would have looked like when it was still in use. You know when people still lived there.
Are there any drawings of what it may have looked like before it became a ruin?
It appears to have been ruined for quite some time, I found a sketch from 1792 on the National Library digital collection , have a look here http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000147659