Ballymore Castle facts for kids
Ballymore Castle is an old castle located in Lawrencetown, County Galway, Ireland. It started as a tall tower house in the 1400s, owned by a family called O'Madden. Later, in 1620, a house was added to it, and the castle has been changed many times over the years.
Castle's Early Days
The castle we see today was built in 1585 by a man named John Lawrence. He got the land because he married a daughter of the O'Madden family, who were important local leaders.
In 1603, John Lawrence's oldest son, Walter Lawrence, married Cecily Moore. She was the granddaughter of a powerful noble, Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde. Ballymore Castle faced many challenges during the wars that followed. Walter Lawrence fixed it up and even put a special marble fireplace in one of the rooms in 1620 to remember his work.
Later, John Lawrence Jr. lost the castle in 1641. This happened because he supported the king's side, known as the Royalists, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The leader he followed was Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde. The castle and much of the land were then given to Sir Thomas Newcomen. He later rented the castle back to the Lawrence family for many years.
The Williamite War
During the Williamite wars, a famous Irish general named Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan sent Ulick Burke, 1st Viscount Galway to defend Ballymore. In June 1691, Burke and about 1200 soldiers set up camp in a fort near Lough Seudy lake.
A smaller group of soldiers stayed inside Ballymore Castle. A general named de Ginkell attacked the castle first. The small group of defenders fought bravely. When they were finally captured, de Ginkell then focused on the larger fort.
The fort was attacked with cannons from the land. Boats also approached it from the water. The leader of the fort, Colonel Ulick, decided to surrender the next day. De Ginkell stayed at Ballymore for ten more days. He used this time to get his troops ready for their next big battle at Athlone.
More Recent History
After Thomas Newcomen passed away, the castle went to his stepson, Nicholas Cusack. Around 1720, Nicholas sold it to John Eyre of Eyrecourt. At this time, the Seymour family was renting the estate.
The castle was updated in 1815. A two-story house was added, which had a curved entrance with a special fan-shaped window above the door. Thomas Seymour bought the castle and its lands completely from Giles Eyre around 1824. He was married to Matilda Margaret Lawrence. Their son, David Thompson Seymour, who later became a Police Commissioner in Queensland, Australia, was born at Ballymore Castle in November 1831.
Later, a relative of the Seymours, Mrs. Hale, inherited the estate. By then, it was smaller because a large part of the land had been bought by the Irish Land Commission. The castle and its remaining lands were then sold to Joe Naughton.
