Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeCastle - tower house
- Date or period mentioned1683
- Recorded sizeL 6.25m, W 4.5m
What to look for
- Wall-walk and parapet
- Machicolation
- Bawn wall
- Fireplace
- Corbels
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
In gently undulating pastureland, c. 200m E of 'Castle Ffrench' (GA047-014----). A rectangular four-storey tower (L 6.25m, Wth 4.5m) in fair condition.
Full archaeological record 158 words
In gently undulating pastureland, c. 200m E of 'Castle Ffrench' (GA047-014----). A rectangular four-storey tower (L 6.25m, Wth 4.5m) in fair condition. An inscribed plaque bearing the ffrench coat of arms records that it was built in 1683. This is set into SW wall, at 1st-floor level, where it is blocking a small window. The original doorway was probably at S end of SE wall where a blocked ope is overlooked by a machicolation at parapet level. Present access is via a wide segmental archway (Wth 2.55m) in NW wall. None of the floors survive but corbels and beam slots indicate their position. Fireplaces survive in E corner on 1st and 2nd floors and a chimney stack rises from 3rd floor. There are three large rectangular windows in NE wall, probably later insertions. Apart from these, the other windows are just small rectangular opes. Traces of a possible bawn wall are visible at S end of SW wall.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 05 August 2010 · Based on the Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Around Castle Ffrench Castle
Other heritage nearby
- St. Cuan's WellHoly well · 5.5 km
- Lady WellHoly well · 7.0 km
- St Brigid's WellHoly well · 7.9 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 53 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 castleArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 monastic siteArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 abbey or friaryArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Hymany WayLong Distance Waymarked Way · 99.0 km · nearest point 0.9 km
- Green Heartlands Cycle RouteRoad Cycling Trail · 219.6 km · nearest point 7.1 km
- Suck Valley Way - Slí Gleannta na SucaLong Distance Waymarked Way · 124.3 km · nearest point 7.5 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- MountbellewForests · 10 km
- Richmond Esker Nature ReserveNature reserves · 19 km
Other attractions nearby
- Galway's Living BogNature and Wildlife · 9.2 km


