Kanturk case study

Kanturk Castle in Co. Cork is one of a series of castles built during the 17th century using architectural ideas drawn from Elizabethan England marking a change from the old-style tower houses to roomier, better-lit and more comfortable fortified houses. Kanturk Castle is unusual in that the historical records and local tradition indicate it was never completed. The builder, the Gaelic chieftain Dermot MacOwen MacDonagh MacCarthy, was ordered to discontinue construction of the castle by the Privy Council in London after complaints by his neighbours that he was building a fortress. Some accounts note that Dermot, in a fit of rage, then smashed building materials and had the building stripped.

Kanturk Castle is one of the largest fortified houses built in Ireland, and is held in trust by An Taisce, as a National Monument to be conserved for future generations. Uncertainty surrounding the extent of completion at the castle has been a matter of debate for many years and has had ramifications on decisions as to the most appropriate way of harnessing its heritage value. This study funded by The Heritage Council has been carried out under the 2004 Architectural Research Grant Scheme with the following objectives:

To carry out a conservation report of the building fabric, examining the significance, current condition and physical risks to the castle.
To indicate useful non-destructive archaeological research techniques which may best inform the key stakeholders on the archaeological potential of the site.
To examine the question of the degree of completion and whether the castle was ever roofed by study of the relative weathering, decay and degradation of building materials to Kanturk Castle, and compare this to the weathering found at other comparable castles in Co. Cork.

Stone Weathering: It is not possible to determine the degree of weathering of the stone masonry at Kanturk with great accuracy due to the well-maintained nature of the castle as a whole. However, there appear to be no significant variations to the condition and natural weathering of the stonework internally or externally that would indicate the presence of a sheltering roof in place for any length of time.

Historical Depiction: Kanturk Castle is shown in a is depicted in a ruined condition c.1740 as the background to a portrait of John, Viscount Perceval, later 2nd Earl of Egmont, (1710-1770) by Francis Hayman, R.A held by the National Gallery of Ireland. The painting shows no indication of building above the level seen today.

Comparison with Other Medieval Castles in Co. Cork: A study was undertaking comparing the condition the stone surfaces and building fabric of Kanturk with other late medieval castles including Mallow Castle, Coppingers Court, Mountlong Castle, Monkstown Castle, and Lisgraffon Tower House Co. Cork. The findings indicate two major anomalies:

1. The roof area of Kanturk is lacking substantial construction forms including bartizans, wall-walks, triangular gables, and the upper chimney structures common to other castles in Co. Cork. It would not have been possible to complete a roof structure in accordance with common practice without these features.
2. There are no traces of external render or internal plasterwork to the main elevations of Kanturk, though renders and plasters were commonly found to the other castles in both this and previous studies.

The existing physical evidence at Kanturk Castle does not suggest that the building was ever completed to a stage where a roof structure was in place, or that the wall surfaces were finished internally or externally. There are no significant variations between decay forms noted to interior and exterior surfaces which could suggest the building was roofed for any significant period in the past. Timber floor joists cannot be taken as evidence of completion as these are integral structural members. Construction work on the castle probably finished at a point very similar to what appears today and as depicted in a painting by Francis Hayman c.1740.

A Conservation Management Plan should be set in place to achieve consensus among the key stakeholders including the local community in order to define a ìvisionî for the castle, and how best to harness its heritage and tourism potential.

Future Research Opportunities could include an Underwater Non-disturbance Archaeological Survey of the Brogueen and Dualloa rivers looking for building materials, landing places and boating activity relevant to the castle. Such a survey could be undertaken by a voluntary body such as the Irish Maritime Archaeological Society (IMAS) under license from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. A Geophysical Survey could also record any sub-surface features suggesting previous fortification of habitation, the existence of former gardens or a bawn wall, associated buildings, or other archaeological features. Archaeological Excavation is NOT recommended as the excavation of a site involves the controlled and recorded destruction of archaeological material, either partially or completely.

Future Repair Work: Kanturk Castle is in very good condition overall, and shows a history of conservation and stabilisation in addition to ongoing maintenance work, and having only minor stone decay forms and evidence of historical stone loss. However, a number of the corbels appear misaligned and it would be beneficial to examine the walltop of the castle to determine the stability of the corbels, and the nature and condition of any wall capping. A further recommendation of this study is that the original mortar[s] of Kanturk Castle should be analysed in order to identify the type, nature and composition of the mix. Specifications for a historic replica mortar should be drawn from this data, and this mortar should be used for any repair work in the future.