Castle Quest - Reply to Topic

Forum:	Individual Castles
Topic:	measanaglass Tower/castle

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Ken Cooke Could anyone shed some light on the history of Measanaglass tower/castle located near Macroom Co. Cork ,especially its past owners?
Levan Ken
I'm afraid you haven't provided enough information to seed any further investigation.
What do you have already? Could you post a little more information about the castle, its location and inhabitants? I couldn't find Measanaglass mentioned anywhere, which seems strange - is your spelling correct?
Levan
wurdsmiff Ditto, I also drew a blank on this one. There is a Macroom Castle. A photo of the approaches is available at http://cork.local.ie/content/21015.shtml/macroom
This was the home of the ancestors of William Penn, whose name was given to Pennsylvania. It is mostly ruined.
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'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm
Gordon.

wurdsmiff I attempted to reply to your mail, however my response was returned since your mail address unrecognized.
Firstly may I say that the dates given in your mail arouse the suspicion that this tower may not have a medieval core, in which case it will not appear on any of the data bases of castle sites. I am not totally excluding the possibility that the house has an earlier origin, but the lack of
available data reinforces this. One publication which may provide you
with information is 'Castles and Stronghouses of Ireland' by Mike Salter Folly Publications; ISBN: 1871731151
Unfortunately I do not currently have access to this publication, though will post further data here should I find any.

------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm
Gordon.

wurdsmiff Found the following in a list of Irish Archeological journals, which may be of use if you can track it down.
McCarthy, C.J.F.: The Marquess Mac Swiney of Mashanaglass, 124.
Also found an extract from a 19thc work by John Windele which mentions the castle;
Visited Carrignacurra Castle and ascended to the Battlements. A mural (circular) staircase at N. W. angle, the building roofed, but roof in bad repair. The chambers extremely dark. Many of the windows walled up. The interior arched. The Bower room quite plain and unornamented. No mantelpiece in the great capacious fire place, whether ever? Gone at all events. S.E. angle of the Castle has one of those strange projecting spurs as at Mashanaglass Castle. It is perforated with slit or shot holes.
Hope this leads you to better things!

------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm
Gordon.

duncan I also came up with a blank on this one, I looked and it's not listed in the Castles and stronghouses of Ireland book Gordon. My data base is not as good as i'd like it to be, but i think that Mashanaglass castle may heve a new name.
John Ball Derek Renn doesn't mention it in his Norman Castles In Britain, either!
Levan Regarding the 1922 election to the Irish Senate:
"According to the Constitution, the candidates were supposed to be persons who "have done honour to the Nation by reason of useful public service or that, because of special qualifications or attainments, they represent important aspects of the Nation's life." Inevitably this was interpreted rather broadly: one candidate was a teacher who "for many years has taken [a] deep interest in public affairs"; another more modest (if geriatric) candidate had been simply "identified with public life since 1879". My personal favourite is the exotically named Valentine Patrick Emmanuel McSwiney, Marquis of Mashanaglass, who gave his occupation as "Gentleman" and had been Chamberlain of the Papal Court for sixteen years. (None of these was successful in the actual election!)"
Levan
Biggar Mashanaglass Castle is described in "The Castles of County Cork" by James N. Healy, a life's work describing and illustrating the 400 castles in county Cork. The Valentine Emanuel Patrick MacSwiney of Mashanaglass was my grandfather and on his death ownership of the ruined castle (blown up by treasure-hunters in the mid 1800's) passed to my uncle Owen MacS. 2nd (Papal title)Marquis. The castle was I believe a McCarthy stronghold held for them by the gallowglass MacSwineys; In a picturesque ceremony, ownership was then passed to the MacCarthy Mòr (alias the swindler Terence McCarthy), the MacSwineys returning after 400 years a castle to the McCarthy Chief. What Terence did with it, is unknown; he may have sold it with a title to an American who took the territorial designation Peacock of Mashanaglass after my uncle's death. After the McCarthy Mor scandal broke, Peacock apparently ceased to use the name. Mashanaglass is in a charming location. It has an interesting fireplace on the first storey (mentioned in the book). I have visited the ruin a couple of times; a farmer puts his equipment under one of the arches.
[This message has been edited by Biggar (edited 01-30-2007).]
AJR Thank you for helping us out.