5 8 The Forts of Erin. 



another name, and is also called bovawn or bawn. The next 

 type of fort in this neighbourhood was a cashel. It is almost 

 in ruins ; but there are a series of very interesting under- 

 ground chambers, of which plans and measurements were 

 shown. This cashel is situated in the townland of Clochboley. 

 The next example was a fortified house of the early part of the 

 seventeenth century, called Ard Tarmon ; it is the original 

 seat of the Gore family. It forms a connecting link between 

 the Norman castle and the modern mansion ; photos were 

 shown of it. After referring to the crannoges in Glencar Lake, 

 which were used as defensive structures, the mode of construc- 

 tion of crannoges was explained, and several other examples 

 given, in County Cavan and other places. The round towers 

 in point of time came after the cashels, and before the castles. 

 Mention was made of their uses, one of which was as 

 places of refuge in case of sudden attack for the clergy and 

 other ecclesiastics, as they are always found associated with 

 ecclesiastical structures. The early circular Norman towers, 

 such as Reginald's Tower, Waterford ; King John's Castle, 

 Limerick; and Nenagh Castle, came in after the round towers, 

 and before square towers were built. Views were shown of 

 typical Norman castles, such as King John's Castle, Trim ; 

 also Carlingford Castle, Dundrum; Carrickfergus, Creencastle, 

 County Down, and Ballymote, County Sligo. Castles built by 

 the Irish were next reviewed — Donegal Castle built by the 

 O'Donnels, Doe Castle by the MacSwynes, M'Dermott's Castle 

 in Lough Key, Breffny Castle built by the O'Rorkes near 

 Dromahair, Castle Deargin by the Macdonoughs, Maguire's 

 Castle near Enniskillen, Blarney Castle by the MacCarthys, &c. 

 In form the early Norman castles resembled those of England 

 and Wales, the original type being the castellated structures of 

 Italy after the decline of the Roman empire. They consisted 

 of a keep, a large and lofty building, square or circular in plan, 

 generally the former, occupying the centre of a large enclosure 

 frequently of several acres, surrounded by a high and parapeted 

 wall, and flanked at intervals and at the angles by large 

 circular towers, the whole surrounded by a moat, or occupying 



