Downdaniel Castle (Dundaniel Castle)

Downdaniel Castle, County Cork
Photo © Mike Searle, 23 August 2007

Downdaniel was built in 1476 on the site of a 10th century Danish fortress called Dundanier, on the north bank of the river Bandon. The castle was reputedly built by the descendants of Philip Barry, who had received the lands of Inishannon from Henry II in 1240. After a chequered history concerning both fact and legend, Downdaniel fell to English forces shortly after the 1641 rising. Cromwell then gave the lands to the Earl of Cork, but after this time, the castle fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

DUNDANIEL CASTLE

THIS castle is situated on the western margin of the Barony of Kinnelea, in the townland of Skevanish, County Cork. It stands on the left bank of the Bandon River, in the angle formed by the influx of the Brinny. It is half a mile above Innishannon, and three miles below Bandon.

The present name seems, from ancient documents, to be a corruption of Dundanier, or a word of the same phonetic sound. Different suggestions have been put forward as to the probable meaning of the original name, including "Dane's Fort," or "the fort of the foreigner," and "the fort of the two rivers." This latter would be a very appropriate appellation, its south and west sides being protected by the converging streams.

Nothing now remains of the castle save the keep, which measures 32 feet east and west, and 44 feet north and south.

The entrance is in a ruined state on the east side, and between it and the river on the south the masonry has almost wholly disappeared. The walls on the north and west are 6 feet thick, while on the south and east they measure 8 feet, although these sides have otherwise apparently less provision for defence. A winding stair was situated in the thickness of the walls at the south-east angle, the building of which has now disappeared, and that this stairway terminated at the hall or chief apartment of the castle usually occupied by the castellan. Upon the north-east angle of the tower is now the remains of a ruined turret, most likely to have been the protection for the egress to the allur or battlemented walk, which was reached from the main chamber by a second stairway in this part of the wall. By such an arrangement no watchman could leave his post of duty without passing through the room in question, and thus a greater protection would be secured. The top of the fortress was reached by a very narrow "pair of stairs."

The tower is about 55 or 60 feet high. The stone arch which is usual in such buildings covering the internal space, is in this instance situated singularly high up, being immediately beneath the top storey, and there is no mark on the lower walls to show that a second ever existed. The ground floor was used for defence as well as for the usual store, and above it beams, on stone corbels, supported two oak floors between the basement and the arch. Light and air were chiefly admitted by long openings splayed for archery. It is interesting to note also the later apertures introduced after musketry superseded the bow and arrow.

Of the former outworks of the fortress little trace remains. On the east of the tower, at about a hundred yards distant, is what an old inhabitant stated to be a disused channel of the River Manghane or Brinny. This fact is borne out, and contradicted, respectively by several maps. The fact that the field lying west of the river is still called "Castle Garden" seems to point out that the channel of the Brinny has been changed. Also the north and west walls of the fortress have the greater number of crenellated openings, which show that they were considered the most vulnerable sides.

The Down Survey map of 1656 shows a dwelling-house to the east of the castle.

In the mortar on the inside surface of the arch, the marks of the twigs are still visible which formed part of the temporary support used when building. The mortar has much less lime than is usual in such work, no doubt from the distance it would have had to be brought. These markings, as well as the general architecture, indicate that the date 1476, which is usually stated as the time of its erection, is likely to be accurate.

It is supposed to have been built by Barry Oge, or Barry the Younger, whose family displaced the O'Mahons in this district, being a descendant of Philip de Barry, the Anglo-Norman invader. The lands of Innishannon were granted to the Barry Oge family either in Henry III.'s or Henry IV.'s reign. In 1449 Barry Oge forfeited the confidence of the Crown, and his lands were seized for the King. But a letter of the time states that he was there "upon the King's portion, paying his Grace never a penny of rent." At this time wars at home and abroad had weakened the English power in Ireland, and it is most likely that Barry Oge built Dundaniel Castle to protect the lands he was holding in spite of the forfeiture. In 1548 mention is made of a pirate called Colle coming to Kinsale in a pinnace and marrying Barry Oge's aunt, living in his castle, and not allowing any one to enter Kinsale. Probably this castle was Dundaniel, where the honeymoon was being spent, but the Barry Oge himself does not seem to have shared the odium in which his uncle-in-law was held.

Pirates were a very grave trouble to the south coast for many years following.

After the Desmond rebellion Barry Oge's land was again forfeited in 1588, and bestowed upon MacCarthy Reagh, and in 1599 "Downdanclier" is referred to as being in his possession. After the siege of Dunboy Castle, in 1602, Sir George Carcw relates having sent some companies of foot soldiers to Macarthy's Castle of Dundaniel, to remain there until the army was leaving Minister. Eight years later the estate was purchased by the East India Company for the sum of 7,000. They constructed a dock, where they built two ships, and colonised three villages with some three hundred English settlers. They garrisoned the castle with "four light horse, six corslets, and ten muskets, trained at the Company's charge."
But this form of industrious innovation was not at all to the liking of the native inhabitants, and they so harassed the company's workers that they were obliged to appeal to the Government for protection in 1613. This does not appear to have been accorded, as a second petition in the same year asks for leave to place three or four pieces of ordnance in the castle for defence against the "wylde Irish."

The Company, still receiving no Government aid, relinquished their enterprise. In the "Castle Garden" slag, like the refuse of ironworks is still found, which is most likely the remains of the East India Company's industry. After this the MacCarthys seem to have again taken possession of the castle, and a scion of the old house, named Teige O'Connor, occupied Dundaniel upon the breaking out of hostilities in 1642. This O'Connor seems to have been a man of unqualified barbarity. A manuscript in Trinity College records a most unwarrantable attack by him on five peaceful fishermen who were whipping the rivers near the stronghold. By his orders they were seized by some of the garrison and carried within the castle. Four of them were hanged at once, and the fifth offered 10 for his life. This was accepted, and some of them accompanied him to his house to receive it. Upon finding where he kept his money, they seized the whole of it, amounting to 35, and then hanged the unfortunate owner.

John Langton, writing to the Earl of Cork, gives a most graphic description of the assault upon Dundaniel Castle on the 2Oth of April, 1642, when the English forces marched from Bandon under the command of Lord Kinalmeaky and Captain Aderly of Innishannon. It appears a party of rebels had seized some cattle and brutally killed four children and wounded a fifth, who were minding them near the town. The distracted parents traced the crime to the garrison of Dundaniel Castle, "neere the ould iron worke." So horse and foot marched out, recovered the cattle save one animal, and attacked the castle. Three of the besiegers were killed and six wounded by shot and stone from the fortress, but the musketeers posted themselves round the castle and on the neighbouring hill, and kept up a fire of small shot so that each of the defenders who looked out was killed. They next tried to drive in the door with sledges, and these failing they set it on fire, but they had to undermine the wall in the neighbourhood before the fire became sufficient to make the door yield. They rushed into the lower room, and the enemy fled to the top of the castle above the vault. The attacking party then loaded themselves with corn and oatmeal which was stored in the lower chambers, and having provided themselves with plunder they set fire to the wooden floors of the lower rooms. Night came on, and they returned to Bandon with their booty. Next morning they came back to view the scene, and found that the rebels (who had escaped the fire which did not penetrate the vault), had let themselves down from the battlements in the night time by means of ropes and other contrivances. Many lay dead on the top of the castle, and round about it. The victors found four or five muskets and fowling pieces, some brass and iron pots and pans, and some money hidden in the oatmeal bins.

About forty of the enemy escaped and joined the Roches. They were pursued, and an encounter took place where over a hundred were killed, but the chiefs escaped. After this the MacCarthy property was confiscated, and Dundaniel Castle was granted to Richard Earl of Cork, by whom it was leased to various tenants, and through whom it descended to the present Duke of Devonshire.

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