Site of Castle, Knockacurra, Co. Tipperary South
Co. Tipperary |
Masonry Castles
Atop a natural ridge in County Tipperary South lies the remnants of Knockacurra Castle, though you'd be hard pressed to spot it from ground level today.
The Civil Survey of 1654-6 recorded a castle on the lands of Laffally in Curroge Parish that was "wanting repayre", which historians believe refers to this very site. By the time the Ordnance Survey Letters documented the location in 1840, only the foundations of the south and west walls remained visible, with the south wall's foundation measuring four feet wide in its deteriorated state.
The castle's construction appears to have shared similarities with nearby Seefin Castle, located about 600 metres to the west-southwest. Both structures used the same type of materials, with walls that were grouted for strength. The 1840 survey noted that within the castle's bawn, or defensive wall enclosure, foundations of other buildings could still be traced, suggesting this was once a more substantial fortified complex rather than a standalone tower.
Today, the site appears on Ordnance Survey maps simply as "Castle (site of)", accompanied by earthworks that have since become invisible at ground level. What was once a notable fortification commanding views from its ridge-top position has gradually melted back into the landscape, leaving only subtle traces for archaeologists and the most determined history enthusiasts to discover.
