Isert Kelly Castle

In flat open pastureland. In 1574 this tower house was in the possession of 'McHubert cheif [sic] of his sept' (Nolan 1901, 112), i.e. the Burkes (see Fahey 1893, 162, 247); it was rebuilt by MacRedmond Burke about 1670 (Harbison 1975, 93). It consists of a well-preserved three-storey high rectangular tower (13.7m N-S; c. 11m E-W) which occupies the S corner of a rectangular bawn (GA114-054001-). It is now a National Monument. The original doorway, with a perfectly intact hanging eye on the S side, is centrally placed in the E wall and is of two orders with a gap in the roof between them for a portcullis. It accesses a small lobby with an overhead murder-hole and off which a doorway leads to the main ground-floor chamber. This chamber was lit by four cross-loops, two in the W wall and one in the N and S walls. All are set in deeply splayed embrasures and wicker-centring survives in the S and W examples with possible plank-centring in the N loop. An unusual feature on this floor is the double arch in the N wall; its central pier does not reach floor level. Another doorway to the N of the lobby leads to an intramural stairs which rises to the first floor, at which point it spirals and then continues, again in the E wall, as another intramural stairs to the second floor. The first floor was wooden: six recesses in the E and W walls indicate the position of the corbels that supported it. This floor comprised a main chamber which was accessed off a small landing via a round-headed doorway. It was lit by two rectangular two-light windows in the S wall and one in the W wall. A similar window was subsequently inserted into a now partially blocked-up single-light window in the inaccessible murder-hole chamber in the E wall. These windows may possibly be related to the early 17th-century refurbishment of the tower. A fireplace is visible in the S end of the E wall. There is a stone vault with wicker-centring and traces of plaster between this floor and the second floor. A subsidiary chamber to the N of the main chamber is accessed off the landing via a pointed arch doorway. It is also vaulted and its wicker-centring also survives. Plaster is also visible. This chamber was lit by shouldered arch windows in the W and N walls. The second floor comprises one main chamber, floored with concrete, and a very small intramural chamber in the E wall. The latter is accessed through a very narrow doorway (Wth 0.5m). This floor bears fine panels of arcading along the N and S walls. It was lit by tall two- and three-light windows in the E, S and N walls and a smaller rectangular window in the S wall. Another window in the N end of the W wall was subsequently blocked up when a later fireplace was inserted. Its lintel bears a Latin inscription and the letters W.H. and it is dated 1604 (Fahey 1906, 3-4). The remains of another fireplace are visible at the W end of the S wall. There is a brick-lined oven off it in the W wall. A round-headed wall niche is visible to the N of the oven. Access to the roof was gained via an intramural stairs in the W wall. However, due to a breach in the stairs it is no longer accessible. The gables, three chimney stacks and parapets appear to be intact, the latter complete with small turrets at each corner. The wall-walks themselves were interrupted by two of the inserted chimneys (SMR file). A machicolation at parapet level on the E wall commands the doorway below. An enclosure (GA114-054002-) may be associated. (Holt 1910, 138; Killanin 1951, 120; CUCAP 1970, BDN 50)