Carrigogunnell

The castle is built on outcrop trap rock of volcanic origin that overlooks the low lands of County Limerick, and the River Shannon.

[1] Westropp 1908 claimed that the plan showed little appreciation of defensive science, and as a result attributed it to the Irish Gaelic tribe of the Dalcassians.

The main (southern) gateway he thought poorly defended, lacking side towers, and with walls under 5 feet (1.5 m) thick - the gate itself led to by a shallow slope.

[1] The castle had an outer ward of around 1 acre (0.40 ha) in area, approximately harp shaped in plan, with a tower in the SW corner.

[11] Antiquaries have also assumed a derivation of the name from a local ancient tribe, the Ui Chonail Gabhra (see also Uí Fidgenti), though there is a lack of references showing that they actually controlled the land the castle is situated on.

[15] No record remains for over a century; then a branch of the O'Briens seems to have crossed the Shannon, settled there, and overspread the old Norman Manor of Esclon, and southward, up the Maigue, their territory being represented by the barony and name of Pubblebrian; this is said to have been about 1336, but their chief's ancestor of the later Briens of Carrigogunnell, Tadhg na Glenore (O'Brien), was King of Thomond in 1426, and it seems doubtful whether his descendants obtained the place and built the castle much before 1450.

Grey was about to give it to one Donoth O'Bryne, ignoring his promise, when by a plot of Edmond Sexton and his wife (as their enemies alleged, but Grey acquitted them) it was put back into the hands of "Matthew's" warder; it was then attacked, and one of its towers was taken on the night of 22 August; the keep surrendered next morning, and Edmond Cahill, the warder, and all its garrison were brought to Limerick, tried and hanged.

A Captain Wilson took it over and built a stable there after it was prudently sold by its last owner, Donough Brien, to Michael Boyle (afterwards Archbishop of Dublin).

As an active participant in the Tudor conquest of Ireland, he was one of the figures who brought a new element to Irish warfare, where the killing of non-combatants by Crown forces was seen as acceptable by the establishment.

It is the very fact that he included this information in his report to London, deeming it a piece of service fit to be recorded, that pinpoints his significance in the military history of sixteenth-century Ireland.