Wallstown Castle

Wallstown Castle, County Cork
Photo © Mike Searle, 20 June 2009

This is a fortified tower house, the west wall of which stands at full height, with a chimney stack for a blocked fireplace at the 4th storey level.

It was held by the Walls as tenants of the Roches, who fought for the Royalist cause in the Parliamentary Wars. When the tower was captured and burnt by Lord Inchiquin in 1642, all but two of the 70 defenders were either put to the sword or hanged. Many were buried within the vicinity of the castle.

One of the two spared was Richard Wall, who was later to die in Cork prison. The castle was later given to Captain Andrew Ruddock.