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Caisleán na Coran (Castle of the Weir)

Caisleàn na Coran, St.Thomas's Island and St. Patrick's Protestant Church - Painting by Geraldine O'Brien.
Caisleán na Coran. The castle at the weir was an outpost for the Irish garrison during the 1651 Siege of Limerick. When the castle became untenable due to a bombardment by the English forces the garrison took to the boats to try to reach the Limerick shore, because of the gunfire one boat had to land at the Clare shore at Parteen. On surrender they were put to the sword by the English forces. The officers responsible were later court marshalled and dismissed from the service. Those fortunate enough to land at Corbally were well treated.
The castle as seen from the Green at the end of the Mill Road. Living close to it almost all of my life, I have never grown tired of its view. In the past I played, swam, built sand castles, boated around it, climbed in and out of its churchlike doorway, approx. 11 1/2 feet from the ground below.
Back of the castle and side showing the projecting garderobe. A garderobe (toilet) is thought to have been for hanging ones clothes in the toilet shaft, it was thought that the ammonia from the urine would kill fleas and other insects.
View of Garderobe (toilet) projecting out over the castle wall, so that the waste drops down outside the castle wall and into the river below.

Castle Interior

The room inside the castle measures approx. 8 metres long and 4 metres wide. It has 2 windows, one at the side and one at the back, both completely blocked up, also 5 long narrow windows, 2 with gun holes at the base. (Photo's of the castle interior courtesy of Pat Lysaght)

On the floor are steps and a round opening, blocked up with rubble, it possibly led to a cellar, above it an entrance to the garderobe and stairway leading to the top outside.

 

Window with gun hole at base.
Appearance from the inside of the blocked up entrance doorway.
View of castle before the doorway was blocked up. Pat Lysaght was the last person to enter the castle through the doorway. He lives directly opposite the castle and was annoyed at young fellows coming up the river in boats, entering the castle and throwing rocks from the top into the river below. Pat blocked it up in the 1980's so as to preserve the castle from further damage.
Caisleán na Coran. Tranquil, calm, colourful, early morning view of the castle.
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