Kilcash Castle
![Kilcash Castle is located in Ireland](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Ireland_adm_location_map.svg/235px-Ireland_adm_location_map.svg.png)
![Kilcash Castle](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/7px-Red_pog.svg.png)
Kilcash Castle is a ruined castle off the N24 road just west of Ballydine in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is in the care of the Irish State. The Butler dynasty has important links to the area.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Kilcash_Castle4.jpg/170px-Kilcash_Castle4.jpg)
The main castle building is a fortified tower[1] dating from the sixteenth-century.[2] An adjoining hall was added at a later date, when the need for defence gave way to the large windows associated with settled times.[3] In the sixteenth century the manor of Kilcash was taken from the Wall family after the Irish Confederate Wars and given to the Butlers of Ormond. The latter sold the castle to the Irish State in 1997 for £500.[4]
In 1614, Walter, 11th Earl of Ormond, who lived at Kilcash, inherited the Ormond title from his uncle Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond. The possession of the Ormond lands was disputed and Walter spent 1619-1625 in prison in London while James VI and I pressurised him to surrender most of his property. Walter passed the manor of Kilcash on to one of his grandsons, Colonel Richard Butler of Kilcash (d. 1701).
The 3rd Earl of Castlehaven, a noted Confederate Catholic commander in the 1641-52 wars, frequently stayed at Kilcash where his sister, Lady Frances, was married to Richard of Kilcash, another confederate commander. Lord Castlehaven wrote his memoirs there (published as The Earl of Castlehaven's Review).
In the 19th century, the castle fell into ruin after parts of the Kilcash Estate were sold c. 1800. During the Irish Civil War, the castle was occupied by Anti-Treaty forces in an attempt to slow the approach of Pro-Treaty forces towards Clonmel. They were finally dislodged by artillery fire under the command of Commandant-General John T. Prout, further damaging the already dilapidated structure.[5]
By the late twentieth century, the castle was in a dangerous state of repair. Beginning in 2011, the castle underwent extensive repairs to prevent it from collapsing.[6]
Church
Near the castle are the remains of a medieval church consisting of a chancel and a nave with a Romanesque doorway in its south wall. This building was partially repaired in the 1980s and is now open to the public. In the graveyard, a Butler mausoleum (which is nearly as large as the church) contains the tombs of:
- Thomas Butler of Garryricken;
- Christopher Butler, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cashel (1673–1757), a younger brother of Thomas Butler of Garryricken;[7]
- Margaret Magennis, Viscountess Iveagh (1673–1744), widow of Bryan, 5th Viscount Magennis and Thomas Butler;
- Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde (died 1773); and
- John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde (died 1795).[8]
Some of the eighteenth-century headstones are carved with elaborate scenes of the crucifixion.[9]
The lament for Kilcash
The castle is best known for the song "Kilcash" (Irish: Cill Chaise),[10] which mourns the ruin of the castle and the death of Margaret Magennis, Viscountess Iveagh. The song has been ascribed to Fr John Lane (d. 1776), but the woods lamented in its first stanza were not sold until 1797 and 1801, long after Lane's death.[11] The earliest manuscripts of the poem date from the mid-nineteenth century. Its first stanza reads:
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Kilcash_Castle1.jpg/220px-Kilcash_Castle1.jpg)
- Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad?
- Tá deireadh na gcoillte ar lár;
- níl trácht ar Chill Chais ná ar a teaghlach
- is ní chluinfear a cling go bráth.
- An áit úd a gcónaíodh an deighbhean
- fuair gradam is meidhir thar mhnáibh,
- bhíodh iarlaí ag tarraingt tar toinn ann
- is an t-aifreann binn á rá.
- Now what will we do for timber,
- With the last of the woods laid low?
- There's no talk of Cill Chais or its household
- And its bell will be struck no more.
- That dwelling where lived the good lady
- Most honoured and joyous of women
- Earls made their way over wave there
- And the sweet Mass once was said.
(translation by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Website on the history and archaeology of Old Kilcash
References
- ^ Fry 1997, p. 220, 3rd column: "This consists of a six-storey tower-house with bartizan and high chimney stacks ..."
- ^ Breffny 1977, p. 146, line 1: "James, ninth Earl of Ormond, granted the lands of Kilcash to his third son John Butler by deed dated 26 May 1544 and it was probably at that time that the tower-house with bartizans and tall chimneys was built ..."
- ^ Breffny 1977, p. 146, line 5: "Beside it stands the ruin of a two-storey domestic building, added to provide more comfortable accommodation."
- ^ Flood 2020, p. 158.
- ^ Tillinghast, Richard (2008). Finding Ireland: a poet's explorations of Irish literature and culture. University of Notre Dame Press. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-268-04232-5. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Kiely, Jacinta (2011). "Database of Irish excavation reports - Tipperary 2007:1685 Kilcash Castle 23263 12734 TS078–037 E2018". Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ^ Carrigan 1905, p. 319, line 10: "Christopher, born at Garryricken, January 18th, 1673. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state ..."
- ^ Flood 2020, p. 21.
- ^ "Kilcash Church, Tipperary".
- ^ Mangan 1850, p. 197.
- ^ Flood 2020, p. 296.
- Breffny, Brian de (1977). Castles of Ireland. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-5002-7398-2.
- Carrigan, Rev William (1905). The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory. Vol. 4. Dublin: Sealy Bryers & Walker. OCLC 29384778.
- Flood, John (2020). Kilcash and the Butlers of Ormond: Conflict and Kinship from the Middle Ages to the Great Famine. Dublin: Geography Publications. ISBN 9780906602942.
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1997). Castles of Britain and Ireland. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers. ISBN 0-7892-0278-6.
- Mangan, James Clarence (1850). The Poets and Poetry of Munster. Dublin: John O'Daly. OCLC 982030708.
- v
- t
- e
- Ashford Castle
- Aughnanure Castle
- Ballymore Castle
- Ballymote Castle
- Ballynahinch Castle
- Castle Hackett
- Classiebawn Castle
- Clifden Castle
- Clonalis House
- Dunguaire Castle
- Dunsandle Castle
- Eyrecourt Castle
- Fiddaun Castle
- Hazelwood House
- Glanleam House
- Kilronan Castle
- Lissadell House
- Markree Castle
- Menlo Castle
- Parke's Castle
- Strokestown House
- Tyrone House
- Westport House
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Bunrattybig.jpg/100px-Bunrattybig.jpg)
- Abbeville, Dublin
- Aldborough House
- Áras an Uachtaráin
- Ardgillan Castle
- Ashtown Castle
- Baggotrath Castle
- Carrickmines Castle
- Castleknock Castle
- Chichester House
- Clontarf Castle
- Deerfield
- Drimnagh Castle
- Dublin Castle
- Farmleigh
- Frescati House
- Hillcourt
- Howth Castle
- Iveagh House
- Leinster House
- Lucan Manor
- Luttrellstown Castle
- Malahide Castle
- Manderley Castle
- Manresa House
- Mansion House
- Merrion Castle
- Mornington House
- Rathfarnham Castle
- Roebuck, Dublin
- Sutton Castle
- Swords Castle
- Allenstown House
- Altamont House
- Ardbraccan House
- Athlone Castle
- Athclare Castle
- Athlumney Castle
- Avondale House
- Ballinlough Castle
- Barberstown Castle
- Bargy Castle
- Beaulieu House
- Bellinter House
- Belvedere House
- Bellevue House
- Birr Castle
- Blessington House
- Butler House
- Carton House
- Castle Durrow
- Castlemartin House and Estate
- Castle Roche
- Castletown House
- Charleville Castle
- Dangan Castle
- Dardistown Castle
- Darver Castle
- Duckett's Grove
- Dunsany Castle
- Durhamstown Castle
- Emo Court
- Enniscorthy Castle
- Foulksrath Castle
- Gloster House
- Humewood Castle
- Huntington Castle
- Kilkea Castle
- Killeen Castle, Dunsany
- Kilkenny Castle
- Killruddery House
- Kinnitty Castle
- Leap Castle
- Leixlip Castle
- Lisnavagh House
- Loftus Hall
- Luggala Lodge
- Lyons Demesne
- Maynooth Castle
- Marlfield House
- Middleton Park House
- Mount Loftus
- Portlick Castle
- Powerscourt House
- Rock of Dunamase
- Russborough House
- Slane Castle
- Stradbally Hall
- Straffan House
- Summerhill House
- Tallaght Castle
- Townley Hall
- Trim Castle
- Abbeville, Tipperary
- Adare Manor
- Ardfinnan Castle
- Ballinalacken Castle
- Ballinskelligs Castle
- Ballycarbery Castle
- Ballyhannon Castle
- Bantry House
- Barryscourt Castle
- Black Castle
- Blarney Castle
- Bourchier's Castle
- Bunratty Castle
- Bowen's Court
- Cahir Castle
- Cappoquin House
- Castle Conway
- Castle Donovan
- Castle Gurteen de la Poer
- Castle Maine
- Castle Oliver
- Castle Otway
- Craggaunowen Castle
- Croom Castle
- Curraghmore
- Damer House
- Derreen House
- Derryquin Castle
- Desmond Castle, Kinsale
- Doonagore Castle
- Dough Castle
- Dromoland Castle
- Dromore Castle
- Dunasead Castle
- Dunboy Castle
- Dunkerron Castle
- Dunlough Castle
- Ennistymon House
- Fota House
- Gallarus Castle
- Kenmare House
- Kilcash Castle
- Killagha Abbey
- Killarney House
- Kiltinan Castle
- King John's Castle
- Knappogue Castle
- Leamaneh Castle
- Lismore Castle
- Listowel Castle
- Macroom Castle
- Moorstown Castle
- Mount Congreve
- Mount Trenchard House
- Muckross House
- Newhall House
- Newtown Castle
- O'Dea Castle
- Ormonde Castle
- Parkavonear Castle
- Red House
- Redwood Castle
- Rock of Cashel
- Roscrea Castle
- Ross Castle
- Shanmuckinish Castle
- Slevoir House
- Strancally Castle
- Tarbert House
- Vernon Mount
- Waterford Castle
- Woodhouse
- Woodstown House
- Altinaghree Castle
- Archbishop's Palace, Armagh
- Arthur Cottage
- Bailieborough Castle
- Ballymoyer House
- Bangor Castle
- Baronscourt
- Belfast Castle
- Bellamont House
- Blessingbourne House
- Burt Castle
- Carrickfergus Castle
- Castle Caulfield
- Castle Coole
- Castle Leslie
- Castle Saunderson
- Clandeboye House
- Cloughoughter Castle
- Crom Castle
- Dartrey Forest
- Derrymore House
- Doe Castle
- Donegal Castle
- Dundrum Castle
- Dungannon Castle
- Dunluce Castle
- Florence Court
- Glenarm Castle
- Glenveagh Castle
- Gosford Castle
- Grianan of Aileach
- Hillsborough Castle
- Hope Castle
- Inch Castle
- Lissan House
- Lough Eske Castle
- Monellan Castle
- Mongavlin Castle
- Mount Stewart
- Parkanaur House
- Richhill Castle
- Rossmore Castle
- Springhill House
- Tynan Abbey