Knockelly Castle

or Knockkelly, NOT Lackelly,
Peppardstown par, NE of Fethard, Co.Tipperary

Knockelly Castle,
an old stronghold built by the Butlers in 15th cent,
there is an account in the Ormonde records of the killing of Pierce Butler of Knockelly in 1502 [Heffernan, 1958],
castle later "sub-infeuded" (gain possession of an estate in fee) to the Everards,

purchased by the Barton family of Grove, Fethard par, Co.Tipperary (they purchased Grove in 1752),
they let Knockelly to James Kickham, he is the first Kickham in there,
occupied by James Kickham temp 1798,
"The Kickhams never became large-scale territorial landlords, though in time some of them acquired the tenancy of gentlemen's holdings such as Knockelly Castle" [Comerford, 1979],
occupied by Thomas Kickham as at 1838-39,

occupied by Edmond Heffernan as at 1889,
inherited by John Heffernan 1903,
still inhabited,
described as a ruined late-Elizabethan or early-Jacobean towerhouse surrounded by a well-preserved bawn [walled enclosure].

Send me additions and corrections to this site