Ballinoroher

Beal Ath an Urchair     Ford Mouth of the Attack

Townland :  Ballinoroher

Parish :  Kinagross   Coill na gCros  Wood of the Crosses 

This castle was built in the late sixtenth or early seventeenth century by the Sloicht Inghine Ui Chruimin branch of the MacCarthy Reaghs, descendants of Donal Gott. It stands on the south bank of the Argideen river as a guard tower over the only pass between Bandon and the southwest. Despite its age and lack of attention, Ballinoroher is in fairly good condition. It has been described as one of the best castles in the country. A rectangular structure of four storeys, with supporting corbels, it has some fine cut-stone windows, and some of the doors are still hanging. Access is through a ground-floor door on the east wall into a vaulted lobby, and then to the main chamber. The stairs have disintegrated but the top floor can be reached by a ladder

By all accounts the castle was built well before 1611, as it was amoung the possessions of Donal MacCarthy of Kildee when he died in that year. His son, Dermot, married one of the daughters of Randal Oge Hurley of Ballinacarriga. He may have been well connected, but he made a desperate mistake in handing over a man named Burrowes, who had come to him for refuge, to the Confederate forces. Burrowes was hanged in Kinvarrig wood. When the war ended Dermot was arrested and brought to Bandon, tried by a Cromwellian court and found guilty of murder. He was taken to Cork and hanged in his turn.

One of the stories surrounding Ballinoroher describes the family hiding their gold and valuables before the advancing Crowellian forces. Some say that it was hidden in a secret compartment in the the walls, whille others say it was in a tunnel which ran south to an old fort some 250 yards away. In times gone by many attempts were made to find the treasure, but none succeeded.