The Purcell seat on the Suir
Loughmoe Castle, also called Loughmore Castle, is a ruined tower house and fortified house on a bend of the River Suir in County Tipperary, between Thurles and Templemore. It was a seat of the Purcell family, the Barons of Loughmoe, who built the tower in the 15th century and added a gabled hall block in the 17th. The castle is a National Monument, and the county settlement plan identifies it as a landmark on the riverbank. It sits on low-lying ground that floods after heavy rain.
Is Loughmoe Castle open to visit?
No public visitor approach has been established. The ruin lies beyond a farmyard and fields, and the building is unrestored and unstaffed, so keep out of the farmyard, the fields and the ruins. For a medieval building you can visit, see Holy Cross Abbey.
A short history
The earliest part of the castle is a five-storey tower house, probably built in the 15th century. A two-storey, gabled hall block was added in the early 17th century, turning the defensive tower into a more comfortable residence. The Purcells were a prominent Old English family who arrived during the Norman invasion and held their lands through the Reformation and the Desmond Rebellions. The Cromwellian wars ended that run: the castle was taken by Cromwellian forces in the 1650s, and the family lost much of their estate under the Act for the Settlement of Ireland.
Nicholas Purcell fought for James II in the Williamite War, taking part in the battles of the Boyne and Aughrim, and signed the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Unlike many who went into exile as the Wild Geese, he chose to remain in Ireland to fight for Catholic rights. The last baron, James Purcell, did go into exile in France after the Treaty of Limerick. The title was attainted, and after the family finally left around 1760 the castle fell into ruin over the following century.
What you’ll see
The tower house is the most intact part of the ruin. It has a vaulted ground-floor chamber, the remains of a spiral staircase in the north-east corner, and several windows with stone seats. The 17th-century hall block has large mullioned windows, a fireplace with carved coats of arms and the initials ‘FP’ on the first floor, and a gable end with a chimney stack. A bawn wall once enclosed the courtyard, but only fragments survive.
The newer tower portion is five storeys high, while the central portion is four storeys with a semi-basement. The tower has rounded corners, gun loops and machicolations, marking it clearly as the older defensive structure. The wooden roof is long gone. The interior is unsafe, with narrow stairs, debris and unsound floors, and there is no safe way in for visitors.
Around Loughmore
The castle stands beside the River Suir near Loughmore village. The Suir floods after heavy rain, and the low ground around the castle can be underwater. Holy Cross Abbey is a short drive south-west and is a far more complete medieval site that you can visit. Athassel Priory lies to the south.
The honest take
Loughmoe is a bare ruin with no paths, no panels and no roof, and no established public access. It is a place to read about rather than to visit. If you want a polished heritage experience, go to Holy Cross Abbey or Athassel Priory instead.