An abandoned castle on the Clare bank of the River Shannon near the "Leap of Doonass" close to Castleconnell. The castle today is very impressive, perched on a rock above the River and with rock cut paths leading up to it from the water side. The Leap of Doonass was where the power of the River Shannon met its narrowest point and as a result were powerful rapids. Here most boats had to disembark and either carry on by foot to another waiting boat or lift the boat out and carry it with them. As such this was a very strategic point on the River. The river itself was a routeway into the midlands of Ireland and this point here controlled access to it via the boat. It is likely that the current building is an 18th century folly known as "The Turret". At this site however there was likely to have been a much older castle. There is evidence of some medieval stone work which was probably reused in this brick and mortar folly. It is thought that there may have been ...
My blog looks at the archaeology and heritage of sites in Tipperary and surrounding areas. As many of these sites are on private property, it is important to request permission from the landowner before entering private lands so that access does not become a problem across all sites.