2 38 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



than from its own beauty or interest. It is devoid of architectural features, 

 and is lamentably defaced and modernized. The situation is rather 

 picturesque on a low rocky headland with a fine outlook commanding all the 

 coast across and to either side of Clew Bay. The builders deliberately 

 avoided the higher ground which coidd have extended their outlook past 

 Caher Island and Inishturk to Bofin. The summit of the tower is not lofty 

 enough to make up for the lowness of the site. Otherwise the situation is 

 good, being fenced to the east by a pretty little cove, a perfect bathing-place, 

 and on the other side by the crescent bay with its fine strand so suitable for 

 beaching ancient ships. The castle rock is getting cut away by the sea to 

 one side, and evidently was not fortified in early times. 



The castle is of low square outline irregularly oblong, with bartizans, or 

 rather turret chambers, projecting from the face of the angles to the north-east 

 and the south-west on the level of the second floor. The faces measure out- 

 side — to the north, 35 feet ; to the south, 33 feet ; to the east, 26 feet 6 inches ; 

 to the west, 27 feet 6 inches, and have a batter for 9 feet up. The whole 

 has been rough-cast, I presume when it was repaired for the coastguards by 

 Sir S. O'Mailley in the eailier half of the last century. The battlements were 

 then removed, and the chimneys and fireplaces added. The tower is evidently 

 of the late sixteenth century, possibly (as tradition says) made by Grama; the 

 masonry is poor and the mortar soft and sandy ; the bartizans alone are vaulted. 

 The defaced east door admits one into a passage 14 feet long and 2 feet 6 inches 

 wide leading to the staircase ; another broken door opens into the basement 

 room. The latter has deep window recesses to the north and south ; the 

 lights are built up with loose stones ; there was a shot-hole to the west 

 commanding the landward approach, but it was closed by one of the fire- 

 places. The outer passage turns westward, and has ambries ; a small one to 

 the south and a large one under the stair ; as there are only the traces of 

 three broken stone steps, the lower ones were probably wooden for 6 feet up 

 with perhaps a hiding-place underneath as in some English houses. Above 

 these are a stone flight running westward up the wall, three steps to the next 

 floor, sixteen more to the top one ; they do not continue to the battlements. 

 The ceiling of their passage forms inverted steps. 



The second story, first floor, is as plain as the basement ; it has a deep 

 recess at the north window from which a narrow passage runs westward 

 in the middle of the wall ; this was once lit by a small west light, now closed ; 

 the north light is similar. It had not apparently got a garderobe, but there 

 is a closed recess where it meets the west wall, and a passage perhaps ran 

 into the part altered by the fireplaces and flues. In the north-east corner is a 

 door to the bartizan ; it is made of the only well-cut stonework visible in the 



