It then passed again into the hands of the Boyles, and through two granddaughters of the Primate it descended to the present owners, the Lords De Vesci and Longford.
In 1700 Dive Downes writes: “Mr. O’Callaghan, a Protestant, lives in Monkstown, in a good square castle with flankers.”
Later in this century it was rented by the Government as a barrack.
Lord De Vesci leased the castle to Bernard Shaw in 1861.
| Authorities Consulted. |
| Smith, “County and City of Cork.” |
| Gibson, “History of Cork.” |
| J. Windele, “Historical Notices of City of Cork,” &c. |
| Proceedings of Royal Society of Antiquaries. |
| Parliamentary Gazetteer. |
PORTUMNA CASTLE
There have been three consecutive castles at Portumna, which is situated in the Barony of Longford, Co. Galway. The town stands at the head of Lough Derg, about eleven miles west of Birr. The name signifies “the bank of the oak.”
The territory formerly belonged to the O’Maddens, and was included in the grant to De Burgo 1226.
Soon after this the first castle was erected close to the River Shannon. The ruins were removed some years ago, but its position can still be traced.