A POTTED HISTORY

The castle was built for RICHARD BOYLE,the first Earl of Cork,by ANDREW TUCKER,in the mid 1500's.It started life as a hunting lodge,then during the rebellion in1641,it served as an out post when it was occupied by SIR JOHN LEEKE ( an associate of the Earl ) and some soldiers,but retreated in the same year.

Subsequently it was occupied by a Catholic party under JAMES FITZGERALD AND HIS 'MISTRESS GRANEY',they surrendered to SIR PERCY SMITH of BALLINATRAY in 1645.
It's history after this is some what vague and a lot of documents were destroyed,but we know it was privately owned by a local ,who abandoned it and left it to fall into ruin.It was discovered by Aunty Pam,who rebuilt it in the 1960's,adding a new wing,making it as you see it today.
The original plan of the castle was three round towers,joined to form a ' shamrock 'and there were outbuildings for staff and soldiers.These are long gone,only the footings have been found,while digging in the shrubbery and round by the lake.Only the stables exist,now converted into the cottage.
My son used a metal detector to 'sweep ' the gardens but never found anything relating to the castles past or occupation,YET !!
The local residents refer to it as the pepper pots,with its three pointed towers,thats exactly what they look like.
Pam found an old brass and iron bedstead when she was clearing the undergrowth,it was very ornate,so she had it cleaned and restored,see picture of bed in haunted room.We like to think it was the bed used by James Fitzgerald and his mistress Graney,it would be so romantic if it was.I enjoy telling our guests that it is,after all it might be true !!