Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeCastle - tower house
What to look for
- Gun loops
- 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
On level bluff above the Nore valley, the River Nore is c. 70m to the NW, in pasture. There are good views in all directions.
Full archaeological record 170 words
On level bluff above the Nore valley, the River Nore is c. 70m to the NW, in pasture. There are good views in all directions. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 199), 'Lismain castle, over the Nore, was almost perfect till 1820, when most of it was taken down. Only a fragment of one of the side-walls now remains. It belonged to a branch of the Purcell family'. Only portion of the N wall (T 1.45m) survives of this building (dims. c. 12m x 7m based on foundations) which was at least four-storeys high and aligned roughly N-S (NNW-SSE). The doorway at ground-floor level in the N wall has been robbed out, it was defended on either side by gun-loops. There are corbels at first, second and third-floor level to carry wooden floors. Surviving features include a flat-headed single light at first and second-floor level and the remains of a window embrasure in the NE angle at first-floor level. There are earthworks (KK009-065002-) in the field surrounding the tower house.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly · Updated 8 February 2018. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Visitors' notes
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Around Lismaine Castle
Other heritage nearby
- RathbeaghRingfort · 1.1 km
- St. Catherine's WellHoly well · 1.2 km
- Grange ChurchAncient church · 2.9 km
- St. Lachtain's WellHoly well · 3.2 km
- Clashacrow ChurchAncient church · 3.3 km
- St. Lachtain's ChurchAncient church · 3.7 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 18 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 16 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 11 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 4 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 promontory fortArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Jenkinstown Wood - Jenkinstown Wood LoopWalking Trail · 3.4 km · nearest point 3.5 km
- Jenkinstown Wood - Walled Garden LoopWalking Trail · 2.0 km · nearest point 3.6 km
- Freshford LoopWalking Trail · 5.7 km · nearest point 3.7 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- JenkinstownForests · 4.0 km
- CapponellanForests · 12 km
- Ballykeefe Nature ReserveNature reserves · 15 km
- Coolacurragh Wood Nature ReserveNature reserves · 17 km
- KilkennyWalled towns · 12 km
- Clomanatagh CastleHistoric stays · 9.6 km
Other attractions nearby
- River NoreNature and Wildlife · 1.5 km
- Dunmore CaveMuseums and Attraction · 6.8 km
- Ballyrafton WoodNature and Wildlife · 8.2 km
- The Irish Fly Fishing and Game MuseumMuseums and Attraction · 10 km
What's on nearby
- Pa Sheehy The Magic We Found Tour2026-11-05 · 12 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-06 · 12 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-07 · 12 km


