Clan Rising
Ballymore Castle today

Ireland · Still standing

Ballymore Castle

Ballymore Castle is a historic Irish tower house and attached residence at Lawrencetown, County Galway. Originating as a late-16th-century tower house, a house was added in 1620 and the building was substantially modernised in 1815 with a two-storey bow-fronted house. The site sat near Lough Seudy and remained an occupied country residence through the 19th century.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1815

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1815

What Ballymore Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall, rectangular multi-storey stone tower of a medieval tower-house stands attached to an early 19th-century two-storey house; the house’s central curved bow and fanlighted doorway form the principal front. The masonry is rough‑faced local stone in grey-brown tones; the tower rises higher than the house, giving a stepped silhouette. The castle sits as a riverside/loughland estate beside Lough Seudy; at its prime the tower and the attached Georgian house are complete and occupied.

Its story

The story of Ballymore Castle.

Ballymore Castle at Lawrencetown, County Galway, began as a tower house of the O'Maddens. In 1585 John Lawrence built the castle on land acquired through his marriage to a daughter of O'Madden, Lord of Longford, and in 1603 his eldest son Walter married Cecily Moore, granddaughter of Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde. A house was added to the tower in 1620.

During the Williamite wars Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, sent Ulick Burke, 1st Viscount Galway, to hold Ballymore. It later passed, on Newcomen's death, to his stepson Nicholas Cusack of Cushinstown, who sold it to John Eyre of Eyrecourt about 1720. The building was substantially modernised in 1815 with a two-storey bow-fronted house; the estate, leased for a time by the Seymour family, was inherited by their relative Hale after a large portion had gone to the Irish Land Commission.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1815.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Ballymore Castle, including 2 interiors: upper room with commemorative marble chimneypiece, entrance vestibule behind the fanlighted doorway. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from LawrencetownView from Lough Seudy (water approach)Front elevation of the 1815 two-storey houseBase of the original tower and its junction with the houseUpper room with commemorative marble chimneypieceEntrance vestibule behind the fanlighted doorway

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Whose castle

Clans who held Ballymore Castle.

The families that held Ballymore Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • O'Madden

    The original tower house belonged to the O'Maddens, Lords of Longford.

  • Lawrence

    John Lawrence built the castle in 1585 on land acquired by marriage to a daughter of O'Madden; his heirs added the house in 1620.

  • Eyre

    Bought by John Eyre of Eyrecourt about 1720.

Questions about Ballymore Castle

What is the history of Ballymore Castle?

Ballymore Castle began as a 16th-century tower house built by John Lawrence in 1585 on land acquired through his marriage to a daughter of O'Madden, Lord of Longford. A house was added in 1620. During the Williamite wars, Patrick Sarsfield sent Ulick Burke to hold the castle, which was attacked before the nearby fort surrendered in June 1691.

What is inside Ballymore Castle?

Ballymore Castle contains an upper room with a commemorative marble chimneypiece and an entrance vestibule behind the fanlighted doorway. The marble chimneypiece was erected by Walter Lawrence and bears his initials and the date 1620. The entrance is part of the two-storey house added to the tower.

Where is Ballymore Castle?

Ballymore Castle is in Lawrencetown, in County Galway, beside Lough Seudy. It is located in Ballymore Lower. The castle stands within a riverside or loughland estate, with an approach from Lawrencetown and a water approach from Lough Seudy.

When was Ballymore Castle built?

Ballymore Castle was built in the 16th century, with its tower house erected in 1585. A house was added in 1620, and the building was substantially modernised in 1815 with a two-storey bow-fronted house. The English description also calls the original tower house 15th-century, so the securely supported conclusion is that the castle has medieval and late-16th-century phases.

Was Ballymore Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Ballymore Castle was attacked during the Williamite war in early June 1691. De Ginkell attacked the castle before besieging the fort on the shores of Lough Seudy; the sergeant and his small band resisted until they were captured, after which de Ginkell turned to the fort. The castle did not hold indefinitely, as its defenders were captured.

Which family or clan held Ballymore Castle?

Ballymore Castle was held by the O'Maddens, Lords of Longford, who owned the original tower house. John Lawrence then built the castle in 1585 after acquiring the land through marriage to a daughter of O'Madden. The Eyre family later held it after John Eyre of Eyrecourt bought it about 1720.

What did Ballymore Castle look like in its prime?

Ballymore Castle had a tall, rectangular, multi-storey stone tower attached to an early-19th-century two-storey house. The house has a central curved bow and a fanlighted doorway, while the tower rises above it to create a stepped silhouette. Rough-faced local stone in grey-brown tones forms the exterior beside Lough Seudy.

Is Ballymore Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Ballymore Castle is still standing and intact. Its original tower house survives with the attached residence, which was substantially modernised in 1815. The surviving complex therefore combines the earlier tower with the later two-storey bow-fronted house.

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