Newtown Castle
| Newtown Castle | ||
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| Creation time : | 16th century | |
| Geographical location | 53 ° 6 '13.9 " N , 9 ° 10' 9.2" W | |
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On the northern edge of the Burren is located in County Clare in Ireland , the Newtown Castle ( Irish Caisleán an Bhaile Nua ). It is an impressive castle tower from the 16th century originally built by the O'Briens clan . It soon passed into the possession of the O'Loghlens (also O'Loughlin), the most powerful Irish family in the area. They were called the Princes of the Burren.
Exterior architecture
Newtown Castle was a defensive round tower. The reinforced walls are designed as protruding supports and expand the base into a square pyramid. The openings in the lower floors and the walkway on the roof, with its protrusions, were used for defense. This in most cases rectangular construction leads to the vertical arrangement of the rooms, which led to the name (Norman) tower house .
Building description
ground floor
The room on the first floor was a cool pantry due to the four meter thick walls. The first and second floors have vaulted wattle ceilings, a technique used in Ireland since the 5th century. Hazel rods are woven into a gigantic basket that is turned inside out, reinforced with wooden struts and covered with mortar. Mixed with animal blood, these components made a kind of concrete on which the stones of the floor were laid.
1st floor
There are four narrow stone-lined windows and loopholes in all directions. The ceiling and the rectangular limestone above the fireplace have been restored.
2nd floor: scriptorium
The floor, known today as the Scriptorium, has the second of the wickerwork vaults mentioned, as well as three loopholes and a door that made it possible to exit the castle via a 10 m long ladder (or rope).
The Burren has a long tradition of higher education. Nearby are the ruins of Duns Cahermacnaghten , a medieval law school of the O'Davoren clan (from about 1500 AD), and at Finavarra was the bard school of the O'Dàlaigh (O'Daly) clan, which is based on a mythical Hochkönig (Niall of the Nine Hostages) and an ancient and continuous Bardic tradition. The most famous among them was Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh .
In honor of this tradition, the Scriptorium has copies of the famous Egerton 88, a reference work of ancient Irish laws (Brehon Laws) compiled by the O'Davoren's in the 16th century, the original of which is in the British Museum . In connection with the Burren College of Art, an art college that has its domicile at the tower, there is also a limited edition high-quality copy of the Book of Kells , the best preserved example of Celtic illustrated manuscript tradition , in the Scriptorium .
3rd floor: Great hall
It is located on the third floor with the elegant balcony. The hall was a symbol of the status of the O'Loghlen clan and impresses with the view of Galway Bay and the Burren, which is offered from the windows pointing in the four cardinal directions.
history
Originally, Newtown Castle was built by the O'Brian Clan in the 16th century. In the "Forfeitures and Distribution" books of 1641 Donogh O'Brian is listed as the owner. The Ordnance Survey of 1839 then names Charles O'Loghlen as the owner / resident and describes the tower as "in good condition". Peter O'Loghlen lived there at the end of the 19th century.
Todays use
Renovated in 1994, the tower has been used by the Burren College of Art ever since. Newtown Castle is a link with ancient Gaelic society that was highly developed in terms of politics, law, culture and spiritual affairs.
literature
- George Cunningham: Burren Journey . Shannonside. Limerick 1978.
- George Cunningham: Burren Journey West . Shannonside. Limerick 1980.
- Mary Hawkes Greene: The Burren College of Art - from Dream to Reality in: Sarah Poyntz (Ed.), Burren Villages - Tales of History and Imagination . Cork 2010.
- Peter Harbison : Guide to National and Historic Monuments of Ireland. Including a Selection of other Monuments not in State Care. 3rd edition. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 1992, ISBN 0-7171-3239-0 pp. 46-47