Old Ballyseedy Castle
Old Ballyseedy is
at the W end of the wood at
Ballyseedy.
It is on the bank of the small River Lee (to the N).
An old road ran past it west-to-east (to the S).
The first Ballyseedy Castle
"Ballyshiddy Castle" is listed on the Blennerhassett lease of c.1620.
So there was a castle here before Blennerhassett.
Apparently this
old
Ballyseedy Castle
was a Geraldine
(
Desmond
branch) fortress,
perhaps 15th century.
It was
confiscated after the
Desmond rebellion was defeated in 1583.
Ballyseedy was
acquired c.1620 (post-1619)
by Robert Blennerhassett, of Ballycarty.
Blennerhassett's lease of c.1620
refers to "Ballyshiddy Castle, town, and lands".
Though the
1590 grant of Ballycarty
also appears to include Ballyseedy.
Robert Blennerhassett lived at
Ballycarty Castle.
It is unclear when Blennerhassett first lived at Ballyseedy.
Blennerhassett build a new Ballyseedy Castle
Robert Blennerhassett
and his son
John Blennerhassett
are both living at Ballycarty Castle
at the time of the
1641 rebellion.
They surrendered Ballycarty Castle to the rebels
in Nov 1642.
After the wars of 1641-1653,
the Blennerhassetts
moved their seat to Ballyseedy.
They built a new
Ballyseedy Castle.
It is unclear when this was built,
but probably by the son
John Blennerhassett
around the 1650s.
The older castle at Ballyseedy is gone.
John Blennerhassett
lived at Old Ballyseedy.
He died at an advanced age in 1676.
It was inherited by his son
John Blennerhassett
but he soon died in 1677.
It was inherited by his son
John Blennerhassett.
He died in 1709.
His son
Col. John Blennerhassett
was possibly the last to live at old Ballyseedy Castle.
He was living there as at 1756.
He left Ballyseedy before 1774.
In his will 1774
he is described as of Oak Park,
"formerly of Ballyseedy".
Falls into ruin
Shortly before, or soon after, the death of
Col. John Blennerhassett
in 1775,
Ballyseedy Castle was abandoned by the family and fell into ruin.
1777 map
still lists old Ballyseedy as seat of Blennerhassett.
But
[The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186]
shows it as abandoned:
"Ballyseedy, once the mansion-house of the Blenerhasset family".
Ballyseedy was abandoned and
fell into ruins.
The name "Ballyseedy" was adopted c.1821 by the new
Ballyseedy House (formerly Elm Grove)
a mile to the E.
The ruin of the old
Ballyseedy Castle
still exists.
The house at
Old Ballyseedy.
Photo 2013.
See
larger
and
full size.
Extract from the elegy to
John Blennerhassett
by
the Gaelic poet
Aodhagán Ó Rathaille
in 1709.
It refers to entertaining at his seat (Old Ballyseedy).
Ó Rathaille, who presumably saw the building himself in its heyday,
calls it a
"bright mansion".
From
page 205
of
[Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].
Ballyseedy on
p.163
of
[Smith, 1756].
This
shows
John Blennerhassett at
Old Ballyseedy
and his younger brother
William Blennerhassett at
Elmgrove.
Ballyseedy and Elmgrove and Ballycarty on
1777 map.
Up is W.
[The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186]
shows
William Blennerhassett at
Elmgrove to the E.
To the W it shows
"Ballyseedy, once the mansion-house of the Blenerhasset family".
Old Ballyseedy is clearly now abandoned.
Old Ballyseedy (red cross) on
1829 to 1842 map.
Old Ballyseedy (red cross) on
1887 to 1913 map.
See other copy.
[McMorran, 2008]
says the ruin was fairly extensive until the 1960s
but is now much reduced.
There is not much to see on modern
satellite view
because of the dense tree cover.
The Old Ballyseedy fireplace
There is an old fireplace in the same room as above
(the library at New Ballyseedy).
The hotel says
the top of the fireplace came from Old Ballyseedy,
and the bottom was newer, made to match it.
The old fireplace.
Photo 2016.
See
larger
and
full size.
See also
2007 photo.
From
Flickr. Creative Commons.
The top part of the old fireplace.
Photo 2016.
See larger
and full size.
