Ballynamona Castle

Ballynamona Castle lies in a field in the townland of the same name, in County Cork, in Ireland.

The castle was built by the Nagle family, probably around 1600, on a natural rise at the north bank of the River Awbeg. It is, however, reputed to even date back to the early 13th century. They occupied it until sometime in the 19th century.

Ballynamona Castle is a rectangular, 4-storey tower house. It has bartizans at two opposite corners and a box machicolation from the top story above the entrance in the east wall. There used to be outbuildings built against the tower, traces of their rooflines can still be seen.

There also used to be a sheela-na-gig mounted on one of the castle walls. It was discovered by workers in 1821, when Mr. Garrett Nagle had travelled to London to take part in the procession on the Coronation of George IV.  Shocked by such an indecent carving, the workers removed it and smashed it to pieces. It was later reassembled and built into the wall of an outbuilding, which was ruined at the end of the 19th century, the sheela-na-gig having disappeared.

I read that Ballynamona Castle is freely accessible, but through my satnav I ended up at the wrong side of the river. And as the weather was a bit drizzly and I lacked sufficient time, I just explored it with the drone. Too bad, it looks great.

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