History

  Kanturk Castle is a remarkably well preserved site, with several panels around placed by the An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland [1] and the Office Of Public Works (OPW) [2], which offer the visitor an excellent experience. Many of the information reported in this page are derived from those panels.
  Located on the outskirts of the town of Kanturk, in county Cork, beside the Dalua river, a tributary of the Blackwater, Kanturk Castle (also known as Old Court [3]) was built in the 17th century, as main residence for Donogh MacCormac MacCarthy, Lord of Duhallow around 1601 as a defense against the English [1]. Indeed, as explained in [3], a castle at Kanturk was already reported on a map of Ireland by John Norden, dating between 1609 and 1611.
To finance the construction of such a fine fortified house, the sorroundings lands had to be heavily mortgaged to English financiers [1, 2], such as Sir Philip Perceval, ancestor of the Earls of Egmont, who had arrived in Ireland in 1579 [3]. It is also worth to point out that, at that time, Donogh MacCormac MacCarthy had been pardoned after his involvement and capture at the Battle of Kinsale, in 1601 [4].
The construction of the castle might have been interrupted by the English Privy Council, once local English settlers, fearful of the Irish, reported that the castle was too large and too fortified [3]. Consequently, according to a popular belief, the construction was abandoned in 1618 and the Castle was never occupied [3, 6]. A legend wants that MacDonagh MacCarthy was so angry that he smashed the blue ceramic tiles for the roof and threw them into a nearby stream, which threafter became known as the Bluepool Stream [3, 4]. However, we should not exclude the possibility that the construction stopped simply because the MacCarthys run out of finances [4].
  It should be noticed that instead it could have possibly been Donogh’s cousin, Dermot MacOwen MacCarthy, the responsible for the construction of the castle, as explained in [5], if it is true that Donogh had died during a skirmish in 1601. In this way, Dermot MacOwen MacCarthy became the Lord of Duhallow in 1614 [7], title previously contended between the two cousins and that Dermot held till his death in 1625 [5]. Ultimately, it is fair to say that identifying which MacCarthy started the construction of Kanturk Castle is a quite controversial operation [7].
  Whichever way, the castle was owned by Dermot’s son, Dermot Óg, who, due to financial difficulties, was forced to mortgage part of his territory to Sir Philip Perceval [1, 4, 7]. During the Confederate Wars in 1652, both Dermot Óg and his son were killed in a battle against a Cromwellian force led by Lord Broghill and, despite thereafter the English monarchy was restored, in 1660 the Court of Claims denied the MacCarthys Equity of Redemption on the old mortgage [7]. Consequently, the Lordship of Duhallow was granted to Sir Philip Percival, along with the ownership of Kanturk Castle [7].
Sir Percival removed many of the fixtures and fireplaces and placed them in another properties of his, such as Lohort Castle [1]. The building remained in the possession of the Percivals, the Earls of Egmont, until 1900, when Lucy, Countess of Egmont, donated it to the National Trust on May 8th 1900 [1, 2, 6].
  In 2000, Kanturk Castle was handed over by the National Trust to President McAleese on behalf of An Taisce and now it is a National Monument [4, 6].
  Several interesting details on the architecture are described in the panels by [1] and [2]. As explained there, the layout consists of a rectangular block, measuring 92 by 36 feet (29 by 11 meters) and rising four storeys [3], with 95 foot high (11 meter) square towers at each corner. By the early 17th century, the Gaelic architecture was influenced by the Italian Renaissance, as it can be noticed in the front façade, from the first-floor door carved in limestone. The horizontal bends (or string courses) placed in correspondence of each storey are another innovative feature at Kanturk. The front façade differs from the other side, due to its harmonic symmetry and the absence of battered walls. Kanturk also had (or was intended to have) a large bawn attached to it, probably on the west side.
Being more vulnerable to attacks, the back door of the house was protected by gun loops in the corner towers. Another evident defensive feature is the wall-top machicolation, of which only the many tapering corbels that supported it survive.
The lack of gun loops in the front side suggests that a bawn enclosure could have been present there, having gun loops on its turn.
As stated in [1], the overall result is a combination of the traditional Irish tower-house architecture, with pointed arches, and the new Tudor architecture, with Renaissance doorways and mullioned windows.
  Some intriguing taste of legends is also provided by the panels [1] and [2]. For example, it is said that the builder was a tyrant, forcing his masons to work until they dropped dead and then using their blood in the mortar. In [3], it is told another story, according to which the castle was built by seven stone-masons, all named John, hence the building was also known as “Carrig-na-Shane-Saor” (The Roch of John the Mason).
According to a local legend, a local lord (maybe MacAuliffe, step-brother of Donogh), predicted that the castle would never be completed, as it was “…too fine a home for crows” [8].
  Before leaving, it might increase the curiosity of the visitor knowing where does the name Kanturk derive from. In Irish, ‘Céann Tuirc’ means “Boar’s Head” and, according to another local legend, it is because the last wild boar in Ireland was slain here [6].

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  By far, one of the most well kept ruin, Kanturk is a testament of the irish controversial history.
  Located on the outskirts of Kanturk, the castle is still in great shape, with its external walls and windows in perfect conditions. Numerous fire places are visible on the inside, but sadly the interior floors and roof are not present. Allegedly, its construction was ceased by order of the English Privy Council, as the castle was intended to defend the local MacCarthys against the English settlers. Since then the castle was left incomplete. Or maybe the development of the fine house was interrupted due to lack of funds. Whatever was the reason why the works remained unfinished, what we witness today is yet grandious.
  For the interested visitors, car park is available on site and plenty of information panels, waiting to offer a memorable experience.
  Kanturk Castle is now in the care of An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland and is a designated National Monument.