Kanturk Castle

Kanturk Castle, locally also known as Old Court, lies south of the town of the same name, in County Cork in Ireland.

Kanturk Castle was built in 1609 by Dermot MacDonagh MacCarthy as a rectangular fortified house and his chief residence. Dermot acquired the funds to build it by mortgaging his lands to English financiers.

Apparently it was never finished because there is no trace of the bawn that was supposed to have been attached to it and there is no trace of the machicolated parapet that would have been on top of the surviving corbels. Either Dermot wasn't able to borrow enough money to complete it or news of its building reached England where the Privy Council, being uneasy about its purpose, ordered that building work should stop.

Dermot Og MacCarthy mortgaged Kanturk Castle in 1641 to Sir Philip Perceval, who after taking possession took out many of the fixtures and fireplaces to be placed in another of his properties.

Kanturk Castle can freely be visited. A nice castle ruin.

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