Gearhameen Fortified
House
OS 130: 8: 2; OD 100-200ft. West county Cork.
This is a U-shaped fortified house; it is a two
storeys house with an attic, it is situated on gentle pasture to the north of Dunmanus Bay. The building is covered with
a heavy ivy growth. The main rectangular block is 18m northwest-southeast and 8m southwest-northeast. There are two towers
projecting from the southeast end of the main block, 6m southwest-northeast and 6m northwest-southeast. There is a second
towers positioned at the northwest end of the main block 6.2m southwest-southeast 5.7m northwest-southeast. The southwest
wall stands to ground floor level. The remaining visible wall seems to stand to full height. There are machicolations on the
side walls of the projecting towers they appear to be tapering masonry corbels. An inserted elliptical archway in the northwest
wall gives entry into the main rectangular block, there are some lean-to walls within this main block at southeast end. All
visible windows and door surrounds have been adapted to take wooden frames. There is a large fireplace with a bread oven situated
in the southeast and there are fireplaces in the floors above. There is a gun loop in the southwest wall of the main block.
There are a number of fireplaces situated within both towers. A Plain masonry chimney stack can be located on the apex of
the northeast gable of the southeast tower. The remaining stacks are ivy-clad. According to Power et al. (1992) there
are the remains of three stacks that are zig zag in plan with oversailing caps. The house was built by McCarthy Muclaghs,
built in the early seventeenth century (Power et al. 1992).
;-)
Field Walking Photography
The Fortified House - Internal
