Carrigadrohid Castle History.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Throughout its long history of occupation the castle has been extensively altered and extended. In its current form it presents a complex jumble of features which are difficult to disentangle and mostly impossible to ascribe to any particular date.

The castle today consists of along rectangular main block, with an annex added to its north side. Three main phases of construction can be deciphered. The initial phase involved the construction of a three storey rectangular building.

External quoins on the north-east and south-east corners of this building can be seen east of centre on the north and south walls of the main block. The second main phase of construction on the site involved the destruction of the east wall of the original building and the eastwards extension of the building. 

The third phase involved the construction of an annexe on the north side of the enlarged building. The annexe included a spacious spiral staircase rising from ground to second floor level as well as a single chamber on each level.

The ground floor of the original building was lit by two windows in the south wall and may have had others in the north and east walls. It is impossible to say for certain where the original entrance was located, but it must have been in either the now missing east wall or the north wall, and probably the former. Within the north-east corner of the building a section of curving masonry rising from the first floor level is almost certainly the remnants of the original spiral staircase.