County: Mayo Site name: CASTLEAFFY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 76:18 Licence number: 96E0270
Author: Gerry Walsh
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 494754m, N 788476m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.835111, -9.598982
Castleaffy Castle appears to have been built by Gráinne na gCearrbhach Máille, who flourished in the reign of Elizabeth I. Documentary evidence for outworks, a bawn and associated features (stores and stables) is given by F. Petrel in Grania Waile (London, 1895), pp 39–43. Today only the remains of part of a three/four-storey stone tower, situated on a rock outcrop near the shoreline, survive.
The western site boundary of the proposed development will be 5m from the castle. The actual house will be located 24m to the north-east of the ruin. A circular area c. 20m in diameter has been quarried out east of the castle and within the site boundary of the proposed development. While Petral describes outworks, etc., no trace of any of these structures exists above present ground level today.
Five trenches were excavated by machine in the areas of all proposed ground disturbance. No archaeological features or small finds were recovered from any of the trenches.
Rathbawn Rd, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
