Ballymacshanroe Castle

Ballymacshanroe Castle lies on Great Island, in County Cork, in Ireland.

I could not find any substantial information about this castle, other than that it was probably built by the Barrys, a Welsh family who came to Ireland in the 12th century. The family name is now very common in Cork.

The tower was raided while in Barry ownership, in 1599, by Hugh O’Neill’s Ulster men, according to the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society journal of 1915, which noted an adjoining mansion house, by the name of Ashgrove, had since all but disappeared.

Sir George Hamilton, 1st Baronet, of Donalong, received the castle in 1668 as a result of the Stuart Restoration, but sold it soon afterward.

The castle now consists of a small, ivy-clad, tower of 2 stories, although it might have been taller. Its crenelations are a modern addition. It now stands behind a private residence with the name "The Old Coach House", dating back to the 1800s.

Ballymacshanroe Castle can not be visited, but is easily seen from the public road.

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