Ross Castle

National Monument No. 534. Standing atop a limestone rock outcrop, on the E shoreline of Lough Leane. A rectangular (c. 15m N-S; c. 10m E-W) four-storey tower with the remains, on its N side, of an associated bawn (KE066-074003-), and conjoined on its S side by the roofless ruin of a three-storey barracks (KE066-074004-).

The tower underwent major structural alterations from the late 17th century through to recent conservation and restoration work by the State which culminated with its opening as a visitor attraction in 1993. This restoration work, which began in the mid-1970s, involved major structural interventions to consolidate the structure including the rebuilding of the vault over the main ground-floor chamber, the insertion of cross walls to support the vault, and the reconstruction of most window opes (Rourke 1999; Anon n.d.). A full restoration of the interior was also undertaken including the rendering of internal wall-faces, the insertion of a wooden floor at second-floor level, and the construction of a replica wooden roof (ibid.). Replica battlements were also added to the top of the tower (ibid.). The following description of the tower, which is built of uncoursed limestone rubble with a distinct base batter. describes its original form and layout.

Entered through a ground-floor doorway just E-of-centre in the N wall. This gives entry to a short lobby which has a door on its E side giving access to the base of a spiral (clockwise) stone stairs, and a door on its S side which gives entry to a second lobby. This latter has a door on its W side giving entry to a porter's chamber, and a door in its S wall leading directly into the main ground floor chamber (c. 7.6m N-S; 5.2m E-W). This main chamber is lit by opposite windows in its E and W walls and there may have been a similar window in the centre of the S wall; these embrasures are square-set with a segmental arch on the inside and a narrow splayed light on the outside. The fireplace at the N end of the W wall is probably not an original feature.

At first-floor level, the spiral stairs gives direct access to a subsidary chamber (c. 4.75m E-W; c. 3m N-S) to the N, and to the main chamber to the S (9m N-S; c. 6.25m E-W). The arrangement of windows and fireplace are as on the floor below.

The main second-floor chamber is entered via a short passage from the spiral stairs; also at this level the stairs has a door giving direct entry into the subsidary chamber at the N end. Between the latter two doors is a third which gives access to a long narrow passage at the W end of which is a garderobe chamber in the NW angle of the tower. The main second-floor chamber was lit by a central window in its W, S and E walls but also had a window set into its SE corner with its single light at the angle of the tower.

At third-floor level, the stairs gives direct entry to a single chamber; this has been reconstructed as having a wooden partition at its N end dividing the main chamber from a kitchen with a 'minstrel's gallery' above. The main chamber was lit by two similar large windows: in the centre of the E wall and near the S end of the W wall. These have rounded rear arches formed of dressed limestone slabs and a square light divided by two mullions and a transom. A large fireplace in the centre of the W wall has a limestone surround with a simple roll moulding on its opening edge and a plain projecting mantle sill. The spiral stairs continued up beyond this level to give access to the wall tops. There are bartizans, with tapering corbels and gun loops, at the top of the NW and SE corners of the tower.

The main ground-floor chamber (c. 7.6m N-S; 5.2m E-W) is lit by a segmental arched window embrasure in the W wall with a narrow light; there is a similar modern window in the E wall. There is a segmental arched fireplace (Wth 2.02m; D 1.1m) at the N end of the W wall. The modern N wall is built on the line of an earlier cross wall discovered during archaeological excavation and there is a pointed entrance door at the E end into the inner lobby. A tall door ope in the S wall was inserted to connect the tower house to the barracks to S. A continuous line of projecting corbels high up on the E and W walls support a modern round vault. The first-floor main chamber is lit by a central arched window embrasure with a narrow lights in W, S and E (modern) walls. A large inserted late medieval window at the S end of the E wall has four lights divided by a stone mullion and transom. There is a small window ope at the N end of the E wall in the entrance door embrasure. There is a fireplace (Wth 1.55m; D 0.9m) with a joggled arch at the N end of the W wall. Stone corbels support a modern wooden floor between the first and second floors.

The main second-floor chamber has a central wicker-centred window embrasure in the W, S and E (modern) walls with narrow ogee-headed lights. A stepped lintelled window embrasure in the SE corner splays out to a narrow light on the SE corner. The N end of the E wall is set back to accommodate the entrance door area with a small light in the E wall. A modern round vault separates the second and third floors.

The main third floor chamber occupies the full length of the tower. Its N end is cordoned off with a modern wooden partition to form a small antechamber at the N end. The chamber is lit by a large round-headed window embrasure at the S end of the W wall, arched with long stone slabs. It contains a six-lighted mullion and transom window and there is a similar window in the E wall. There is a central fireplace in the W wall with a moulded lintel and jambs and a projecting mantel. A blind arched embrasure (L 3.02m; H 2.1m; D 0.57m) in the centre of the S wall. There is a stepped lintelled window embrasure, with a wide rectangular light, in the N wall.

The tower house is entered through a pointed door ope with yett-holes at the E end of the N wall which gives access to the rebuilt entrance lobby, the inner lobby and the guardroom. There is a series of rebuilt antechambers between the floor levels overhead - a murder-hole room between the ground and first floor and the garderobe chamber on the second floor. These have been rebuilt on the basis of 'evidence … left cantilevered out from inner wall face' (Rourke, 1999, 12). The entrance lobby (1.5m E-W; 1.75m N-S) gives access to a stairwell in the NE corner. A spiral stone stairs (radius 1.11m) rises in a clockwise direction to the top of the tower house and is lit by a series of narrow splayed windows in the N and E walls. The parapet wall is rebuilt, corner tower over the stairwell in the NE corner. Bartizans with a series of gun loops on the NW and SE corners are supported on tapering corbels. There is a chimney on top of the W wall. The tower house is roofed by a modern slated wooden roof. The interior is lined with layers of lime mortar containing cows hair based on the original lime plaster. Nearly all the narrow window opes have unusual shallow hollowed out sillstones which drain out to a projecting spout. Projecting stones on the N end of the W elevation indicate the outline of a gable-ended house which was built against the tower house.

The bawn wall (L 16.58m; H c. 5m; T 1.03m) survives to N with circular corner towers at either end. The remains of return of W bawn wall on S side of NW tower and the E bawn wall (L c. 20m) extending from NE tower is much rebuilt. A wall walk on top of the N bawn wall has a central pointed door ope. A two-storey building depicted here straddling the bawn in a number of 19th-century illustrations.

The NE corner tower (int. diam. 2.7m) has a series of gun loops on the ground and first floor levels in wall from NW to SE. There is a fireplace in the SE wall and a lintelled door ope in the SW wall. Similar NW corner tower (int. diam. 2.3m) first floor gun loops in fireplace in the SW wall and in a niche in the NE wall. Wide rectangular window opes in both corner towers were probably inserted the