Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeCastle - tower house
- Date or period mentioned1445
- Recorded sizeint. L 8.4m; int. W 5.6m; wall thickness 4.4m
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
Known as Skiddy's Castle; built in 1445 by John Skiddy, bailiff and later mayor of Cork; demolished shortly after 1770. Excavation (Twohig 1974, 12) on site uncovered house (int. L 8.4m; int. Wth 5.6m; wall thickness 4.4m), surviving to 1st floor level; built upon floating foundation of oak raft, held in position by vertical timbers.
Full archaeological record 100 words
Known as Skiddy's Castle; built in 1445 by John Skiddy, bailiff and later mayor of Cork; demolished shortly after 1770. Excavation (Twohig 1974, 12) on site uncovered house (int. L 8.4m; int. Wth 5.6m; wall thickness 4.4m), surviving to 1st floor level; built upon floating foundation of oak raft, held in position by vertical timbers. Mantle-piece, said to have come from here, now built into front wall of 13 North Main Street above 3rd floor window; decorated with crescent arch in high relief, stylised ivy leaf, rope mouldings, quatrefoils etc. and inscription "N.G. 1597 G.S." (Bradley et al. 1985, 31).
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 14 January 2009 · Based on the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Also recorded nearby
Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.
- St Johns ChurchChurch · Cork City · 1.0 km · official record
Visitors' notes
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Around Skiddys Castle
Other heritage nearby
- St Peter's ChurchAncient church · 0.1 km
- Franciscan AbbeyAbbey or friary · 0.2 km
- Saint Francis WellHoly well · 0.3 km
- St Pauls ChurchAncient church · 0.3 km
- Tiobra BhrianachHoly well · 0.3 km
- Church of St AnneAncient church · 0.4 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 31 standing stonesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 18 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 14 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 7 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 4 abbeys & friariesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 round towerArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Ballybrack Woods TrailWalking Trail · 1.2 km · nearest point 4.1 km
- Ballincollig Gunpowder Trails - Military TrailWalking Trail · 6.5 km · nearest point 7.3 km
- Ballincollig Gunpowder Trails - Powdermills TrailWalking Trail · 4.4 km · nearest point 7.7 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- FountainstownBeaches · 18 km · Good Quality (2025)
- WhiteBay Beach Whitegate MidletonBeaches · 18 km
- CorkWalled towns · 0.3 km
Other attractions nearby
- Pick Your Own Path Walking Tour by Hysterical HistoriesWalking · 0.3 km
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- Walking Shandon Audio TourWalking · 0.3 km
What's on nearby
- Cork Zine Fest Residency/Festival/Workshops2026-11-05 · 0.4 km · free
- Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh2026-11-05 · 0.8 km
- Cork Zine Fest Residency/Festival/Workshops2026-11-06 · 0.4 km · free
Excavations nearby
- 02E0947 Ballinaspig More 4, County CorkRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 5.2 km
- 02E1033 Ballinaspig More 5, County CorkRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 5.3 km