Later in the war General Ireton is said to have burned both the town and castle of Macroom.
During the Commonwealth the castle was granted to Admiral Sir William Penn, father of the founder of Pennsylvania.
Upon the restoration of Charles II. the stronghold was restored to the MacCarthys, and was enlarged and modernised by the Earl of Clancarty.
In 1691 it again fell into the hands of an English garrison. They were hard pressed by James’s troops, until the approach of Major Kirk and three hundred dragoons raised the siege.
The estate of the 4th Earl of Clancarty was confiscated for his allegiance to King James, and the castle was sold by auction in 1703. It was bought by the Hollow Sword Blade Co., who resold it to Judge Bernard, ancestor to Lord Bandon.
After this it was occupied by the Hedges Eyre family, the Hon. Robert Hedges Eyre dying 1840.
Colonel White Hedges, brother of Lord Bantry, owned the castle in 1861, and it is now in the possession of Lord Ardilaun, whose wife is one of the Bantry family.
| Authorities Consulted. |
| Smith, “State of County and City of Cork.” |
| Bennett, “History of Bandon.” |
| J. Windele, “Notices of the City of Cork,” &c. |
| C. Gibson, “History of the County and City of Cork.” |
| Meehan, “Confederation of Kilkenny.” |
| Murphy, “Cromwell in Ireland.” |
| Parliamentary Gazetteer. |