I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, for coming to the House this evening. I congratulate him and his Department on their work.
Kanturk Castle, built in the 16th century, stands one mile south of the town of Kanturk on the Blackwater bridge. It is a noble building. The Annals of the Four Masters mention the area as Ceann Tuirc, the head of the boar. It is not recognised that the castle was the finest castle built by a Celtic family in Ireland. Even the northern chieftains of Ulster failed to build such a splendid mansion.
McCormac McCarthy who initiated its construction must have been a man of taste, ambition and considerable resource. The castle is not built in a natural defensive position but in a pleasant rolling landscape. We can deduce from the design, location, large windows, together with the lack of stone stairways and stone floors, that the family looked forward to an elegant peaceful future with their subchieftains, the McAuliffes, the O'Keeffes and the O'Callaghans of Duhallow.
The site is now massed by trees and the door seen from the road is the back entrance to the castle. Perhaps the castle was sited to take the advantage of the river Allow for domestic and farming use. The main doorway has been described as a fine Renaissance door which probably led to an elegant panelled Tudor hall.
The castle is not located along the Blackwater like Mallow Castle. It was probably built between the two ill famed Desmond rebellions of 1573 and 1598. This was a settled period in Munster when Edmund Spenser and others settled into a quiet rural life along the river Blackwater and its tributaries. It was a time of peace and much building work was undertaken, otherwise remarkable structures such as Kanturk Castle would not have been contemplated much less constructed.
There is no evidence of rampaging Elizabethan troops devastating the lands of Duhallow or its trees. The amount of timber needed for roofing, flooring, panelling and stairs was substantial. However, timber was not imported because wood was available from the surrounding area. Wild boar roamed Duhallow until the seventeenth century, living largely from the fruits of the native oak, acorn, hazel, crabtree and roots. The forests in Duhallow were substantial until the early 17th century. Those who built the castle made provision for many fine fireplaces with good surrounds, showing there was no shortage of timber. The original joists were in position until a few years ago.
The castle is part house, part tower and resembles Burncourt Castle, in plan. The task of planning the castle, organising labour, craftsmen, builders, carpenters, quarrymen, stonecutters and transport must have taken years of planning because there were no roads, only tracks and bridle paths. The towers must have been roofed with lead imported from England.
Tradition says that the lime for the building of Kanturk Castle was mixed with blood — it was believed that the blood of animals strengthened the mortar. This was a custom in those times. It is not too fanciful to assume that the castle was occupied by the McCarthy's, even if not roofed as they would have liked. The castle grounds must have been in the Percivals' minds as security when they lent money to McCathy. It is conjecture that the mansion was occupied and not the towers. Smith's history of Cork states that MacDonagh lived in Duhallow with his followers in great splendour until 1641.
For the technically minded, the castle occupies corners of a rectangle, 120 ft. × 80 ft. It was built of old red sandstone. There are four square defensive towers, five storeys high and connecting the towers is a four storey fine Elizabethan mansion. The mouldings, the twines, frames and mullions of the Tudor windows are of hewn limestone, as were the battlements. There are three small openings on the ground floor of each defensive tower from which to fire a gun or pistol. There is a hint of classical influence in the symmetry of the overall design of the castle.
The green enamel plaque on the castle reads:
MacDonagh McCarthy commenced the erection of this strong fortified mansion in Elizabethan times. It is one of the most massive castles ever undertaken by a native chieftain and it is believed it has never been completed.
The prominent overceiling corbels around the wallheads supporting the parapets to provide a gallery, are remarkable. Most of the corbels are in position but the roof and galleries have now fallen. However, in an etching of 1750, the parapets seem complete and the sentry posts seem to be in position at roof level.
Sir Phillip Percival was in possession of the land of MacDonagh McCarthy on 23 October 1641 when McCarthy was then in rebellion. MacDonagh McCarthy borrowed more money than he ought from the Percivals and it was certified by the court of claims that Sir Percivil, a minor, was legally entitled to the lordship and the manor.
The MacDonagh McCarthys have disappeared from Irish history and their castle stands empty and roofless. The castle has been partly restored by the Office of Public Works in recent years. It is worth preserving as part of Irish heritage. It has never been damaged by canon or gunfire like so many other Irish castles; moreover it is authentic.
Kanturk Castle has been held on a long lease by the Irish National Monuments Trust since 1951. It is the only Irish monument headed by the British National Monuments Trust. The Irish National Monuments Trust request that this Government seeks the return of Kanturk Castle as a gift to the people by the British Government. Kanturk Castle was the finest castle built by an Irish chieftain and it still remains outside our jurisdiction. We must encourage the Government to seek its return and complete and preserve this fine structure for future generations.
Recent Bord Fáilte figures show that 855,000 overseas tourists visited the Cork-Kerry region. Some 36,000 came from Northern Ireland and 941,000 came from the Republic; 488,000 tourists arrived via Rosslare. Over one million people travel along the main Mallow-Killarney route.
The castle is situated two and a half miles off this tourist route. If this castle is developed and properly marketed, it would prove an important tourist attraction to this area. On 12 September 1992 the newly formed McCarthy Clan Society met on the castle grounds. The highlight of the event included the attendance of the McCarthy Moore who came from Morocco and performed the ceremonial floodlighting of the castle. He also gave a commitment to ensure its restoration during his lifetime. If one is travelling from Mallow to Killarney a visit to the castle and the pleasant 18th century town of Kanturk, on the river Allow would be worthwhile.
