Leamaneh Castle is a ruined castle located in the parish of Kilnaboy, between the villages of Corofin and Kilfenora at the border of the region known as the Burren in County Clare. It consists of a 15th-century tower house and a 17th-century mansion.
The castle was originally a basic, tower house which was built circa 1480-90, probably by the O'Brien family, one of the last of the High Kings of Ireland and a direct descendant of Brian Boru.
In 1639, Donough's grandson, Conor O'Brien married Máire ni Mahon (MacMahon). She became one of the most famous women in Irish folklore. Her father was Sir Torlach Rúa MacMahon, Lord of Clonderlaw and her mother was Lady Mary O'Brien, daughter of the third Earl of Thomond. Her first husband, Daniel O'Neylan of Dysert O'Dea Castle in north Clare died young and upon his death, she gained control of his substantial estate and a £1,000 fortune. This wealth enabled her and Conor to build a more comfortable mansion on to the tower house. Part of the tower house was demolished and replaced by a 4-storied mansion around 1648. Máire accompanied her husband on raids against English settlers. In 1651, he was mortally wounded and Máire was widowed for a second time.
Máire's third husband, Cornet John Cooper was a Cromwellian soldier. Cooper left the army and amassed some wealth through land and property. However, he later ran into financial difficulty and, as a result, the estate which he had married into at Leamaneh, which he under law now owned through his wife, was mortgaged to repay his debts.
In the 1660s, Cromwellian troops were stationed on and off at Leamaneh. Máire Rúa's son, Donagh found the tower and manor damaged but stayed there until 1684, when he moved the family seat from Leamaneh to the much larger Dromoland Castle in Newmarket-On-Fergus.
Although Máire Rúa's children from her first marriage to Daniel O'Neylan were raised Catholic, Sir Donagh was raised as a Protestant and eventually became the "richest commoner in Ireland." He built "Sir Donat's Road", connecting Killnaboy and Leamaneh, a toll road, the flanking stone walls of which are still visible in places. The gate houses at which tolls were collected have since been demolished.
Leamaneh had various occupants in subsequent years. However, the house finally fell into ruin at the end of the 18th century. The barbican-like gates which adorned the entrance to the property were moved to Dromoland Castle in 1906 by Lord Inchiquin. They are still there. The most elegant of the fireplaces was relocated to the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis.
Leamaneh Castle is located on private property and is not accessible. There is parking available at the cache site. The cache is a small magnetic container. Please replace as found and BYOP.