Long-lost site of historic Ballina building identified – News

There has been a major archaeological development in Ballina in recent days as the lost site of Ardnaree Castle has now been located and protected by the National Monument Service of Ireland, thanks to the initiative, insight and perseverance of a team of volunteers from Ballina.

Drawing on research and evidence presented as part of the Battle of Ardnaree documentary, produced by the Ballina Community Clean-Up Group in 2021, volunteers under the banner of the Ard na Riagh Preservation Group have produced compelling evidence that Ardnaree Castle once stood on Palmyra. Hill on the east bank of the River Moy in the township of Carrowcushlaun West, 100 meters west of St Michael's Church on Church Road.

This location of the site is referred to in medieval texts as 'Ard na Riagh' (the hill of executions), from which Ardnaree takes its name and is the founding stone of the town of Ballina. Until now, the town was generally considered to have evolved around the establishment of the Augustinian Abbey in 1427, but this development took the town's origins back to at least 150 years earlier. In a historic milestone, Ardnaree Castle now enjoys the same protection as the neighboring Augustinian Abbey.

Ardnaree Castle may be considered a site of some importance given the frequency of annalistic references to a site that was regularly contested and usurped throughout the high and late medieval period. Documentary sources prove that the Anglo-Normans built a fortification on the site between 1235 and 1266 and that it remained in English hands until 1371, when it was taken by the O'Dowds. Between 1371 and 1614 the site was contested by the O'Dowds of the Barony of Tireragh and the Bourkes of Tirawley on opposite banks of the River Moy, and it was in the possession of Thomas Bourke in 1614. During this period the La Battle of Ardnaree (1586) took place on or near the site, where 3,000 Scottish mercenaries and their families, half of whom were women and children, lost their lives at the hands of Sir Richard Bingham and the forces English.

Historical references to the castle's occupation cease after 1614, but cartographic sources depicting a castle as well as several associated structures inform us that the castle survived on the site until the second half of the 18th century. The last known reference to the site was in 1829, when it was reported that the castle was in ruins with only fragments of walls remaining above ground. However, despite the fact that all visible surface evidence of the castle site has been removed, the potential for underground structural remains and associated artefacts and evidence of occupation remains high.

Following the detailed report submitted by the Ard na Riagh Preservation Group to the National Monument Service highlighting these research findings, the site of Ardnaree Castle was officially inscribed on the map on 6 June. The recognition and status of this historic castle site ensures its protection under the National Monuments Acts from 1930 to 2004. This hugely important status is great news for the potential of heritage tourism in the North Mayo capital.

The Ard na Riagh Preservation Group is made up of Martin Devaney and Dermot Rice, who initially managed the Battle of Ardnaree project for the Ballina Community Clean-Up Group, from which the first evidence of the location of the castle site, now confirmed, have been identified. Colm McLoughlin, who holds an MSc in Urban Historical Geography from the University of Galway and is Head of History at Ardnaree Sarsfields GAA Club, brings a wealth of experience in local history research to the team.

The team is complemented by the expertise of Thomas Joyce, originally from Ballina, who holds an MSc in Landscape Archeology from the University of Galway and has over 20 years' experience as a researcher and field archaeologist in Ireland and the United Kingdom. All four offer their services to the development of this special project.

The Ard na Riagh Preservation Group paid tribute to local landowners on and around the site of Ardnaree Castle, who they said were proud custodians of the town's oldest heritage and hoped they would ensure its conservation for future generations. We also thank everyone who has contributed to this project so far. Further developments are expected from the group in the very near future.