Togher, Near Dunmanway : from "Castles in County Cork", Vol. 03, no. 18 : graphic

Castles Ireland Cork (County).

Tower-Houses Ireland Cork (County).

Cork (County) History.

Transcript of text: - Page 01. TOGHER. Near Dunmanway. The name means a hurdle track across a bog. Smith. Vol.I. p.286. - Belonged to the McCarthys of Glounacrime. Teig O'Downey, the last of this branch, owned it and Dunmanway. Lewis. Vol.I. p.568 and 612. - In the mountains are the ruins of Toher Castle. Randal McCarthy, owner of Ballinacarriga, is said to have built it. It is a lofty tower. Cork Journal. 1892. p.102. - Built by Tadg an Orsa, between 1597 and 1618. Cork Journal. 1895. p.482. - Photos. A fortified house. No vaulted stone arch. Ample provision for fireplaces on all floors. Machicolations at the level of the battlements, also small round loops for hand guns in the parapet wall, all defence being from the summit. May be compared with Mashanaglas, which was built about the same time. The walls are 6ft thick at the base, diminishing to about 4ft above. There is a circular stairs from the bottom to the top in the N.E. angle of the building. Left of the stairs, on the ground floor is a door leading to a dungeon, or black hole. The door of the castle is very wide, a second door has been broken in the W. wall. A cross wall cuts the castle into two unequal parts up to the top, ending in a gable with several chimneys. The smaller room on the floor above the basement has a strong arched ceiling of masonry. On each floor is a larger W. room and a smaller E. one. The third floor has also two rooms, unlike the other floors they do not comunicate with each other, only directly with the stairs. - - Page 02. TOGHER. The room on the W. side is the state room, with the remains of a handsome mantelpiece. There are two windows in the N. and two in the S. wall, of unequal size, the larger ones with two lights, separated by carved stone mullions. There is a hole for the bar of shutters. The rooms on the 4th floor are low, with no fireplaces or windows, probably store rooms. Five steps lead to the battlements. In the parapet walls are embrasures for hand guns, but there is no place

Healy, James N. James Nagle, 1916-1993.

19/09/2012

1935

Cork County Library

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