Castlewillington, Nenagh, Co Tipperary 

Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.

p. 80. “(Willington/LGI1958) A tower-house with three storey three bay gable-ended Georgian wing. Low top storey, more like an attic; pedimented doorcase with rusticated piers.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/22402103/castle-willington-killowney-big-tipperary-north

Detached country house, built c. 1730, comprising three-bay three-storey front elevation, five-bay three-storey over basement rear elevation, with later projecting single-bay towerhouse-style block to west end, built c. 1830, and two-storey extension to rear of latter. Pitched slate roof, lean-to west end and extension, with rendered chimneystacks. Crenellations and bartizan to west block. Roughcast rendered walls, with dressed limestone to west end of front and with cut limestone platband to front. Square-headed replacement uPVC windows with cut limestone sills, except for topmost front, and with label mouldings to front of west block. Square-headed door opening with channelled cut limestone strip pilasters and pediment, and with sidelights. Outbuildings to yard, latter entered through doorway with label moulding. Fifteenth-century tower house to site. 

Appraisal 

The form and proportions of this house are typical of the Georgian era. The diminishing windows, the symmetry of the openings, and the imposing scale are all features typical of the period. The castle-style block is of high quality craftsmanship, with appealling turrets and castellations, and gothic-style label mouldings.

http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/tipperary/killowney/willington.html

Castle Willington, Killowney Big 

Map Reference: R934818 (1934, 1818)  
 
All the photos on this page are by John O’Meara 

This tower-house was originally four storeys high but in the early 17th century an extra floor was inserted above the third floor hall. The building stands to full height, and although the crenellations are fragmentary, many of the roof weepers are visible. The castle is partly covered with ivy which obscures much of the fenestration. 

The pointed doorway in the west wall leads to a lobby which is protected by a murder-hole. To the south is a guardroom and to the north is another lobby. From this inner lobby a pointed doorway leads to the ground floor room. A second pointed doorway from the lobby leads to the spiral stairway in the NW corner. The castle is vaulted above the second floor. At the second floor thee is a two-light window in the east wall and single-light windows in the south and west walls. A doorway at the south side of the window embrasure leads to a mural chamber.  

There are many original floor beams at this level. There are round bartizans at the NE and SW corners and a machicolation in the west wall protects the doorway.  

The castle was known as Killowney until the early 18th century until the landlord, Wellington, built a house just to the SW. This became known as Castlewellington, which was later modified to Castle Willington, which name is now applied to all the buildings on the site. This house, which was built c1730, is a three-storey three-bay structure. About 100 years after its construction a projecting three-storey single-bay block was added at the west end. This is built in the tower-house style with crenellations, crenellated tourelles at the corners and square hood-moulds over the windows.