Clonamicklon

(Dr. Willie Nolan)

The earliest mention of Clonamicklon in the written records is in the grant of land around Kilcooley Abbey to the Cisterians c.1180 by King Donal Mor O'Brien.  It is recorded that in 1306, John Butler, the youngest son of Edward, first Earl of Carrick moved from Lismolin and established a junior branch of the family at Clonamicklon.  He died in 1330 and is buried in Kilcooley Abbey.  The lands of this family stretched some fifteen miles between Lismolin to Kilcooley.  In the late fifteenth century Pierce Butler also decided to make Clonamicklon one of his chief residences and extended the existing castle.  Pierce Butler was the last Butler to be buried in Kilcooley Abbey.  In 1628 Sir Pierce Butler of Lismolin (and Clonamicklon) was made Viscount Ikerrin.  The record details the townsland in 1640; "upon this land stands a good castle, a slate house with a large bawn , and some houses abroad".  It was then owned by Pierce Butler, lord Viscount Ikerrin, . an "Irish papist", who had 1031acres in addition to the castle.  Local tradition states that the mill near the castle is the second oldest mill in the country but there is no mention of this fact in the Civil Survey.

The Irish rebellion of 1641 and the involvement of local families brought much destruction to the parish.  Some few years later in March of 1649, the Munster army of the Confereration of Kilkenny, led by Lord Inchiquin, pitched camp at Clonamicklon adding to the pillage of the area.  At the conclusion of the Cromwellian War, a decree dated the 23rd. May 1656 banished the Butlers west of the river Shannon to the poor province of Connaught.  This banishment policy of Catholics was widespread and was dubbed “To Hell or to Connaught”.  In compensation for their eviction, the Butlers were given 5,000 acres of land across the Shannon.  However all Butler lands in the area were not lost.  Viscount Irkerrin had prudently dispersed his property amongst his relatives; for example, his grandson was granted the townsland of Fennor.  Viscount Irkerrin also took the precaution of having one son educated in England and raised a Protestant, thus ensuring the family had a representative on the winning side.  He himself probably died penniless.

 In 1688 a Phaniel Cooke took lease of Clonamicklon castle, he is listed as a houseowner in the hearth money records under Ballingarry parish.  Cooke had a 20 year. legal battle with Barker of Kilcooley over land boundaries. The castle was inhabited until 1730.

 Clonamicklon Castle

Half of a large towerhouse castle built in two stages, survives at Clonamicklon.  There is a guntower at the north-east and at the north-west corners of the bawn wall which could not be protected by, the castle itself.  Both were added well after the castle was built.  

The total site is approximately 45 yards by 45 yards.  The original castle was built in the early fourteenth century.  The rectangular turret containing the stairs in the west wall, was originally at the corner of the castle.  A spacious, better lit extension was added to the towerhouse in the seventeenth century reflecting the growing fashion for comfortable dwellings rather than the more cramped, dark towerhouses of earlier years.  

 The remains of the castle and slate house measure approximately 30ft. by 60ft.  The bawn walls at Clonamicklon are very sturdy compared to those of other tower- houses.  They measure between 4.5 to 5 feet in thickness and are 12 to 15 foot high.  Holes observable in the walls were to support log-poles of floors or roofs of buildings erected on the inside.

 There is an interesting building feature on the south-east corner of the bawn.  There, two rows of windows on the upper floor which was supported by corbels projecting from the bawn wall.  This upper floor had access to the guntower in that corner.  Both guntowers have three storeys and are approximately 18 feet in diameter with walls that are 4 feet thick. Both guntowers have doors to the walkway around the bawn wall.