Cloghasty South Castle

Stratigically placed on the NW bank of the River Barrow, in an area of marshland and rock outcrop, with good views of river approaches. According to Vigors (1893, 258), the castle belonged to the O'Ryans. The castle is indicated on the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Gowran and on the Down Survey parish map of Ullard (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). It is not mentioned in the terrier accompanying the parish map, but the proprietors in 1640 of Cloghasty and Knockbarron are listed as Earle of Ormond, Teige Ryan, Edmond Ryan and Teige Baccagh Ryan ‘Ir[ish] Pap[i]sts’ (ibid.).

A rectangular, four-storey structure (ext. dims. 12m NE-SW x 10m NW-SE) with pronounced base-batter (H 1.6m). Constructed of roughly coursed sandstone rubble with larger, roughly cut blocks employed as quoins. The upstanding remains are ruinous and ivy-clad and the interior is inaccessible due to dense overgrowth of vegetation. The E end of the SE wall and the NE wall, though breached at its W end, are the best preserved. There is a rectangular loop with uncut surrounds in the SE wall at first-floor level and traces of a wall-walk at parapet level. Internally there is a rudimentary fireplace in the SE wall at ground-floor level, this is likely to be later insertion. The NW and SW walls survive to maximum height of 1m.