A Brief History...
of the Castletownshend Family and their Castles
Castletownshend Village
Castletownshend is a small village in the parish of Castlehaven, West Cork, approximately 8km from Skibbereen. Castlehaven owes its name to the castle, now lying in ruins, that once protected the harbour (the word ‘haven’ is believed to have originated from the Norse word for ‘harbour’). In ancient times it was known as Glanbarrahane, named after a deep rocky glen dedicated to St. Barrahane, a local 5th century hermit saint.
The village is picturesque, featuring many fine Georgian houses and two large sycamore trees unusually positioned in the middle of the main street. The steep incline leads right down to the harbour and The Castle, which has been home to the Townshend family for eleven generations.
The building is in fact a 17th century castellated house, not a defensive castle from earlier times. It was built by Colonel Richard Townesend towards the end of the 17th century, starting off as a much smaller dwelling. The first castle, known as ‘Bryan’s Fort’, was attacked and destroyed by the O’Driscolls in 1690, and its ruins remain in The Castle grounds to this day. Richard then built a second castle, which is thought to be where Swift’s Tower still stands.
In 1805 the floors were lowered to make the ceilings higher, a decision that left The Castle in ruins. However, instead of rebuilding it, the stone was used to add castellated wings to the dwelling on the waterfront. This became The Castle as you see it today.
Disaster struck again in 1852 when the newly built East Wing went up in flames. The blaze was so fierce that the large quantity of silver stored at the top of the wing ran down in molten streams. The family sent a Bristol silversmith to search the ruins and value the silver by the pound, which he did and promptly disappeared to America with a large part of it! The family still have some of that silver, all misshapen from the fire. The East Wing was rebuilt soon after the fire and The Castle has remained unchanged in appearance ever since.
The family name, however, has undergone several changes over the years. The original spelling was Townesend, which later became Townsend. In 1870, the head of the family, Reverend Maurice Fitzgerald Townshend, consulted with the Townshends of Raynham, Norfolk. Following this, it was requested that the whole family add the ‘h’ into the name. However, some families were quite content with the current spelling and refused to adopt the new one. This resulted in various different spellings spread across the branches throughout the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada.
Much has been written about the Townshend family and The Castle over the years, and this rich history is documented in great detail here. You can also read the book ‘An Officer of the Long Parliament’, which is an account of the life and times of Colonel Richard Townesend and a chronicle of his descendants.
The village of Castletownshend itself is brimming with history and fascinating stories from the past. The local church, St. Barrahane’s, is 200 years old and sits at the top of 52 steps — one for every Sunday of the year. Inside you’ll find beautiful stained glass windows by Harry Clarke and many historic relics and memorials, including three stone tablets that tell the stories of the founding families of the village.
Castletownshend is also famous for being the home of Edith Somerville, whose family still live in Drishane House on the outskirts of the village. Under the pen names Somerville and Ross, Edith and her cousin, Violet Florence Martin, wrote a series of novels and short stories set in West Cork at the turn of the century. Many of their works are considered classics of Anglo-Irish literature, including The Real Charlotte and Some Experiences of an Irish R.M., which was adapted into a T.V. show in the 1980s. Their burial places are marked by two simple headstones in the graveyard of St. Barrahane’s, and inside the church is the organ Dr. Somerville played for many decades.
THINGS TO DO
There are many historical sites worth visiting in the local area, including Knockdrum Fort about 1km west of the village. This circular stone fort sits atop a hill with spectacular views over the bay. It is thought to have been a fortified farmstead, built sometime in the first millennium AD.
From your vantage point high on the hilltop, you can see the Gurranes standing stones, known as ‘The Five Fingers’, or sometimes ‘The Three Fingers’ since only three of the five stones are still standing upright. These megalithic stone monuments, the tallest of which stands at an impressive 4.3 metres, are thought to date back to the Bronze Age.
A 20 minute drive from Knockdrum will take you to Drombeg Stone Circle, known locally as the Druid’s Altar. This circle of 17 stones is thought to date back to between 153 BC and 127 AD, and excavations in the 1950s uncovered a burial urn containing cremated bones. Nearby is a hut with a ‘fulacht fia’; a communal cooking area with a stone trough in the middle. This would have been used to boil large quantities of water by placing hot stones from the fire into it. More information can be found here and here.
The beauty and tranquility of West Cork is something you have to experience for yourself. There are so many things to see and do, and you’ll find lots of helpful information for planning your trip here. There is truly something for everyone, whether you’re into history, fine dining, festivals, wildlife, or spectacular coastal walks. Much of it can be explored from your base here at The Castle, where you can relax and unwind after a long day of adventuring.
Come and experience all that this unique place has to offer. We look forward to welcoming you to our home soon!