Knockgraffon Castle

On a slight SE-facing slope in gently undulating pasture, surrounded by hummocky field. The Civil Survey (1654-6) refers to two castles within the parish of Knockgraffon, both described as 'decayed castles (the Walls standing...' and 'Knockgraffond' was under the proprietorship of a number of owners including 'James Earle of Ormond. Sir Wm. Fenton of Michellstowne in ye County of Corke; Richard Butler of Ballynakill Richard Bourke of Knocgraffond Irish Papists' (Simington 1931, vol.1, 230). An early 17th-century four-storey tower house with attic (ext. dims. 9m NE-SW; 11.55m NW-SE; wall T 2.2m) with intact gables on the SE and NW walls, it is constructed of limestone rubble, randomly coursed, with well-cut quoins, the lower of sandstone, the upper of limestone, a base-batter (H 2.1m; Wth 0.25m) and good survival of external render. It is defended by a number of gun-loops, both circular and horizontal, most of which are only visible externally. All floors were wooden and have not survived. The tower house was modified at a later stage, possibly in the 18th century, when many of the windows were broken-out and enlarged. The well-preserved internal plaster probably dates to this second phase. The tower house is entered through a pointed doorway, with yett-holes on either side, at the E end of the SE wall. This leads into a small lobby area, the N part of which is broken out, and to E there is a segmental-headed recess. The roof of the lobby has partially collapsed, destroying traces of a possible murder-hole. A doorway to the S led to a second lobby, also broken out, and presumably this led into either the ground-floor chamber or via a short mural passage to the mural stairs which rises along the SW wall and turns in the W angle at second-floor level. The ground floor was lit by windows in the NW, NE and SW walls but only the round-headed single-light in the NW wall survives. The first floor was entered from the mural stair in the SW wall. It was lit by four windows, two of which, in the NW and SE walls, are broken out, while single-light, ogee-headed windows survive in the NE and SW walls. There is a fireplace and wall cupboard in the NE wall and a garderobe chamber in the E angle, lit by single-lights in the N and E walls, either side of the corner angle. The second floor was entered from the mural stairs at the W end of the SW wall. It was lit by two windows, both broken out, in the NW and SE walls, the latter with a wall cupboard in each side of its inner embrasure. There is a fireplace at the S end of the SW wall. At the W end of the NW wall the impressions of shelves have been left in the plaster. The third floor was entered from the mural stairs at the W angle, with the doorway supported on a squinch. It was lit by three windows, all broken-out, in the NW, NE and SE walls. Two doorways, one at either end of the SW wall, lead to inaccessible mural chambers. The S chamber is lit by a narrow loop with slop-stone beneath. A third mural chamber, the garderobe, is accessed from the E side of the embrasure of the SE window. The S side contains a small wall cupboard. There is a large central fireplace in the NE wall which is inscribed with the date 1603 within a scroll-plaque. The fireplace has limestone chamfered surrounds and the lintel is joggle-jointed with skew-backs on either side supported on large corbels. The mural stairs above first-floor level is broken out and access to attic level is not visible. The mural stairs is lit by narrow single-lights, and at first-floor level the window has a slop-stone at its base and gun-loops on either side. The attic was lit by a flat-headed two-light window in the NW and SE walls, had a central fireplace in the SW wall and a doorway at the E end of the SE wall giving access to a box machicolation defending the main ground-floor entrance. A large chimney stack surmounts both the NE and SW walls. There are angle machicolations at both N and S angles, the former, which also contains two circular gun-loops, being the better preserved. Water-spouts at parapet level project out from the NE and SW wall. An 18th-century antiquarian sketch of Knockgraffon depicts this tower house with a tall gabled building adjoining the SW face (Harbison 1991, 76-7). This building has no windows in its SE and SW face but there is a small chimney at the apex of the SW gable, however, the accuracy of the depiction is questionable based on the simplistic treatment of the tower house.