Progress Report - Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
Rory Sherlock MA MIAI
July 2006
_________________________________________________________________________
Rory Sherlock MA MIAI,
Consultant Archaeologist,
3 Caiseal Úr,
Bothar Stiofáin,
Galway City
Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
Table of Contents
List of Figures and Plates........................................................................................................ ii
1
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1
1.1
General ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.2
Current Status ............................................................................................................... 1
1.3
Published Information .................................................................................................. 2
2
The Architectural Survey .......................................................................................... 5
3
Conclusions and Recommendations ....................................................................... 10
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
List of Figures and Plates
Page
Figure 1
Floor Plan of Southwest tower, First floor level (not yet annotated)
7
Figure 2
Floor Plan of Southwest tower, Second floor level (not yet annotated)
8
Figure 3
Floor Plan of Southwest tower, Wall Walk level (not yet annotated)
9
Plate 1
Moygara Castle from the north
1
Plate 2
Aerial Photograph of Moygara Castle from the south
4
Plate 3
Erecting the scaffolding in the SW tower
6
Plate 4
Drawing in progress
6
Plate 5
Drawing in progress in the SW tower
6
Plate 6
Measuring gun-loop opes at height
6
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
1
Introduction
1.1
General
1.1.1
This report will outline, for the Moygara Castle Research Project Committee and the
various funding bodies that support the project, the extent of the work completed in
the first season on the site. It will also outline the proposed nature and extent of
forthcoming work on the project over the next 12 months.
1.1.3
The report was prepared in July 2006 by Rory Sherlock MA MIAI, Consultant
Archaeologist, of 3 Caiseal Úr, Bothar Stiofáin, Galway City.
1.2
Current Status
1.2.1
Moygara Castle is a privately owned monument which is registered on the Record of
Monuments and Places for County Sligo and, as such, is protected under the National
Monuments Act 1930, as amended.
1.2.2
The site is owned by the O’Neill family of Moygara and the Moygara Castle
Research Project Committee includes members of the O’Neill family, other members
of the local community and members of the O’Gara clan with which the site is
historically associated.
Plate 1: Moygara Castle from the north
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
1.3
Published Information
1.3.1
The site is described in the Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo (Egan et al
2005, 477-9) as follows:
‘2879 MOYGARA
0544:12:4 (730,169)
'Moygara Castle (in Ruins)'
OD200-300 16891, 30257
Bawn On a slight prominence in undulating pasture, overlooked by higher
ground to the S but with extensive views N-SE and overlooking Lough Gara to the SE.
Moygara Castle consists of a square bawn (L 51m) enclosed by a curtain wall with a
tower at each corner, a gate-tower in the centre of the W side, and the lower courses
of a rectangular structure along the inside of the N wall). The entire complex is built of
uncoursed rubble stone in a lime mortar.
The earliest part of the complex would appear to be the rectangular structure
(17m E-W; 12.5m N-S) that stands on the N side of the bawn, its N wall roughly on
the same line as the curtain wall. This structure appears to predate the curtain wall
as the curtain is butted up against its NW corner; the junction with the curtain wall at
the NE comer is obscured by collapsed rubble. The only evident intact feature of the
rectangular structure is a vertical shaft (1.4m x 0.65m) just inside its NW corner,
which is probably the shaft for a garderobe. Otherwise the structure is largely
reduced to an uneven mound of rubble covered by sod.
The curtain wall stands close to full height (average H 3.3m; T 1.24m) but is
topped by a sod layer with no indication of the original finish. Along all four walls,
just above present ground level, are roughly evenly spaced gun loops: five in the N
wall; ten in the E wall; thirteen in the S wall; and ten in the W wall. These loops are
plain, lintelled embrasures splayed from a small rectangular opening in the exterior
wall-face (int. Wth c. 0.55m; int. H c. 0.7m; Wth of opening c. 0.15m; H of opening c.
0.2m). Some loops look straight through the wall whilst others are angled. Along
certain sections of the curtain, the top of the inner face is brought forward by two
oversailing courses; this widening of the wall top accommodated a wall-walk.
The wall is interrupted in three places: a gate-tower in the centre of the W
wall; a breach in the centre of the E wall; and along the rectangular structure in the
N wall. The gate-tower stood to at least two storeys but is now very ruinous; the
structure is butt-built against the inside face of the curtain wall and is therefore later
in date than the curtain. However, the front doorway (Wth 2.2m) is in the thickness of
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the curtain wall and is probably contemporary with it. Only the basal jambs of the
outer door surround survive; these have a chamfered edge and a plain stop-chamfer.
The door was secured by two drawbars, the sockets of which survive. Lying on the
ground here are two limestone keystones, each has a carving on its outside face but
these are worn almost beyond recognition. One appears to be two figures facing each
other, whilst the other is a single figure holding something in its arms (SMR file).
Neither of these appears to be the figure of a sheela-na-gig, though Guest (1936, 111
and fig. 7) implies that one might be. Inside the doorway is a rectangular lobby (3.2m
x 2.5m) on the N side of which was a smaller subsidiary chamber, now almost entirely
ruined. The plain, round rear-archway (Wth 2.15m), which gave access into the bawn,
is partially fallen. Roughly in the centre of the E curtain wall is a featureless breach
(Wth c. 3m), which is probably recent.
The four corner-towers are similar in plan and layout but the SW tower
stands to three storeys whereas the other three stand only to two. In plan all are
slightly angled towards the outside corner, in bastion fashion, but this angle is very
slight and none of the gun loops is positioned to cover the angle with flanking fire. All
the door and window frames and the embrasure lintels were made of wood; none of
these survives and their absence greatly weakens the structures. The SW tower's
roughly square ground-floor chamber (int. L 5.1m) is entered directly through a
doorway from the SW corner of the bawn. The room has no windows but contains
seven gun loops, one looking along the outside face of the S curtain wall, and another
pair looking along the inside and outside face of the W curtain. The first-floor room is
also entered directly through a doorway from the SW corner of the bawn. This room is
lit by a window in each wall and was heated by a fireplace in the centre of its W wall.
It also contains an array of gun loops, three of which are placed in a central
projection in the E wall, overlooking the S curtain wall. The second floor is arranged
in a similar fashion, but there is no doorway so that entry must have been via an
internal wooden staircase. The parapet is embattled with low, plain, rectangular
merlons pierced by very small gun loops. There is a narrow wall-walk along the
inside edge. The other three towers are all similarly laid out but with variation in the
position of windows, fireplaces and loops. None of these towers stands higher than
two storeys, but as none preserves any wall-top features it is unclear if any of them
ever stood higher.
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Moygara Castle
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An additional rectangular structure stood inside the bawn at its SW corner (c.
15m N-S; c. 8m E-W). This is almost entirely reduced to rubble but is a late addition
as its walls butt against the inside face of the curtain and one end partially blocked a
gun loop.
Moygara Castle was one of the chief residences of the O'Garas (O'Rorke
[1889], vol. 2, 364-6; Wood-Martin 1882, 99-100). It was attacked by the O'Donnells
in 1538, and again in 1581 by 'a body of mercenary Scots' who burned the buildings
(O'Rorke [1889], vol. 2, 364-6), The present complex, excluding the rectangular
structure on the N side which is probably the stump of a late medieval tower house, is
probably late 16th/early 17th-century in date judging by the window forms, the
proliferation of gun loops and the bastion-like angle of the corner-towers. It may be
the result of rebuilding after the attack of 1581.
SL044-052001-
13-8-2000’
Plate 2: Aerial Photograph of Moygara Castle from the south
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Moygara Castle
2
Moygara, Co. Sligo
The Architectural Survey
In 1992, Markus Casey was commissioned to compile an archaeological report on
Moygara Castle and this work forms a baseline for the current project. Casey had
completed a good quality ground plan of the site, so the current survey project was
focussed on:

Planning the upper floors of the towers

Compiling a digital photographic record of the site

Checking and updating Casey’s 1992 ground plan

Producing an comprehensive report on the site, to contain:
-
A detailed analysis of the surviving architecture at the site
-
Detailed site plans at ground, first and second floor levels
-
A range of suitable photographs
-
A discussion of the wider context of Moygara based on comparison with
similar sites
-
Recommendations for future research
During the two-week period between July 3rd and 14th, Rory Sherlock directed the onsite survey programme designed to address the issues highlighted above. Assisted by
Chris Randolph and Phyl Flynn, detailed floors plans were drawn of the upper levels
of the four corner towers and the gatehouse at Moygara. Much of this work was done
from ladders, but scaffolding was erected inside the southwest tower, as this is the
tallest of the four towers on the site. The drawings were drawn on Permatrace at a
scale of 1:50 and are currently being redrawn on Adobe Photoshop at a resolution of
1200dpi so that they can be used in publication at a later date. Low resolution copies
of a selection of these drawings have been included in this report (Figures 1 – 3).
In addition, an extensive series of photographs were taken by the author in order to
fully record the building as it stands and detailed close-up photographs of particular
features of interest were also taken where necessary. Elevated photographs were also
taken by Airshots ltd. and these images will also form part of the photographic
archive for the site. The written, drawn and photographic records generated during the
2-week on-site phase of the project will be used in the preparation of the
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Moygara, Co. Sligo
comprehensive report, much of which will be completed between July 17th and 21st,
2006.
Plate 3: Erecting the scaffolding in the SW tower
Plate 5: Drawing in progress in the SW tower
Rory Sherlock MA MIAI
Plate 4: Drawing in progress
Plate 6: Measuring gun-loop opes at height
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
Figure 1: Low-Resolution copy of Floor Plan of Southwest tower, First floor level (not yet
annotated)
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
Figure 2: Low-Resolution copy of Floor Plan of Southwest tower, Second floor level (not yet
annotated)
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
Figure 3: Low-Resolution copy of Floor Plan of Southwest tower, Wall Walk level (not yet
annotated)
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Moygara Castle
Moygara, Co. Sligo
3
Conclusions and Recommendations
3.1
The fieldwork element of the first phase of the Moygara Castle Research Project was
very successful and all of the targets for the project were met. Detailed plans of the
building were created for the first time and these are currently being prepared to
publication standard. A detailed photographic record of the building was also created.
3.2
The report on the first phase of the Moygara Castle Research Project is now being
prepared and this will contain a detailed architectural and archaeological analysis of
the structure which will be supported by detailed, high quality scale drawings and
photographs. This report will place Moygara in its appropriate context through
comparison with similar sites and will therefore allow the building to be understood
more comprehensively than has hitherto been possible. This report will also serve as a
springboard for further research on the site.
3.3
The next phase of the project will comprise a detailed programme of historical
research on the site and this will be undertaken by Anne Connon in late 2006. The
information generated by this historical research will compliment the architectural
and archaeological analysis and both elements of the project will generate further
research questions which may be addressed in later phases.
3.4
Looking forward to 2007, it is envisaged that phase 3 of the project will probably
involve a programme of geophysical investigation at the site. This programme will be
formulated in the light of the information gathered and the questions posed by the
earlier phases of the project and will seek to shed further light on the form and
development of the castle and to address specific information deficits noted in the
results of the earlier phases.
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July 2006