Bagnelstown Castles, Co. Carlow

Ballymoon Castle, Bagenalstown
Three to four km east of Bagenalstown and 32
km south west of Clonmore and similar to it, this ruined castle dates to the  thirteenth-century. The castle is striking as it is unusual - comprises  courtyard about 80 feet square, surrounded by granite walls, 8 feet iick and 20  feet high. Square towers project from three sides while a formidable gatehouse  is the feature of the fourth. The interior of the castle is now bare but  originally featured two-storey structures built up against the inner walls. The  castle was most probably built by Roger Igod or by a member of the Carew family. 
Access is direct from the Bagenalstown - Fenagh Road via a small timber  footbridge.

Ballyloughan Castle, Bagnalstown
This castle was probably built in the  thirteenth-century and consisted of a large open courtyard with a curtain wall
and a moat outside. Only a small square rower remains, as well as the entrance  gate which flanked by two large rounded towers. The castle originally belonged  the Kavanaghs before passing into the hands of the Bagenal family in nearby  Bagnalstown and following this the Bruen family in the early nineteenth century .

Access is direct, on private land.


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Odd notes that will eventually find a home !

1395   On 16 February  in a certain field vulgarly called Balygory by the town of  Carlow,( another source states it is 2 miles from Tullow) on the side of Slievemargy, there was a dramatic meeting.  Nottingham,  with some of his following, met Gerald O'Byrne and Donal O'Nolan, captain of his  nation, coming from a wood where many armed Irishmen were assembled, and had the  letters patent of se February read, first in Latin, and then translated into  English and Irish by a Hospitaller, 'learned in the Irish tongue'. Then the  principal Leinster chiefs, including MacMurrough himself, successively did  homage in Irish. On the next two days, at Carlow and Castledermot, some minor  personages came in. Then on in February in Dublin Donat O'Byrne, who had done  homage there the day before, swore before the king himself to observe the  agreement of 7 January. The submission of Leinster was thus complete, though on  Richard's journey southwards in March a number of the Leinstersncn also took oath to  the king in person.
Gerald was probably Chieftain of the O'Byrnes of Crioc Branach originally from the Downes/ Kiltimom sept, he died in 1398 three years after he " submitted " .  The site would have been close to the ancient holy site of Slaty,  where
Charles Byrne of Clonmore lived around 1705 -1790.
Donat O'Byrne's origins are unknown at present. ?