Westropp — Lesaer Cadles or Peel Towers of Clare. 357 



bridge was probably brought from one of the neighbouring towers of 

 Abarinagh or Newtown. ^ 



Finials to the gables are very rare in county Clare. Two occur at 

 Cleenagh Castle.^ 



Internal Features. 



The fireplaces are usually quite plain, save for a cornice and 

 chamfered edges. ^ Several are dated,* or display initials and even 

 sentences. As at Carrigaholt, "U. B. (Daniel O'Brien) 1603." At 

 Castlefergus, " H. T. E. 1576." At Moghane, " T. M. M° M. ]!^. 

 (Mac Namara) me fieri fecit a.d. 1610." AtDromore, " This Castlk 



WAS BDILT BY TkIGUE SECOND SONNE TO CoNNOR THIRD EaRLE OF ThOMOND 



AND BY Slany WIFE TO THE SAID Teigue A.D. 15 " (now removed). At 

 Ealahine (I am told, for it is now inaccessible), " Eear God, remember 

 the poor." At Cahercorcran, "1627." At Moyhill, "1637." At 

 Ballinalackan "1644" on a handsome fireplace.^ One at Inchovea 

 has spiral pillars. There are small passages and recesses along tbe 

 haunches of tbe vaults, and sometimes in the thickness of the wall. 

 These often have ambreys and " cupboard holes." Garderobes often 

 occur in similar recesses of the lower stories, and have " down-puts " 

 in the thickness of the walls. ^ I am not aware of any well existing 

 inside the tower or outworks of these castles. 



The doors are pointed or round headed, at the most chamfered or 

 slightly moulded ; there is a neatly dressed cross, picked on the soffit 

 of an arch, on the stairs of Lemeneagh.'' The main vaults in all cases 

 seem to have been turned over wicker work. At Urlanbeg and Mount- 

 cashel I have found the osiers embedded in the mortar, and apparently 

 sound ; but they fall to dust when handled. 



The catches for the bolt, lock, and bars of tbe doorways are often 

 very neatly cut, most of the doors turned in neat sockets. 



In a few cases, a passage crosses the building at the staircase end 

 of the main vault. This rests on arches at Ballyportry, Magowna, 

 and (I think) Ralahine, but on very massive corbels at Kilkeedy. 



^ In county Limerick, such figures are found on Tullyvin and Dunnaman 

 " Castles." 



2 See p. 358, fig. 4. 3 gee p. 358, figs. 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13. 



* Whence some local " authorities " have dated the castles themselves. The 

 curious slab, 1587 (?), at Bunratty was read 1187, and theories founded thereon. 



^ See p. 358, fig. 8. ^ Qne is shown in the section of Moghane. 



7 See Plate XVII., fiu-. 2. 



