Castlemagner

Castlemagner (Irish: Caisleán an Mhaignéaraigh)^[2] is a village, townland and civil parish in the Duhallow area of north-west County Cork, Ireland. Castlemagner is within the Cork North-West (Dáil constituency).

Castlemagner Caisleán an Mhaignéaraigh
Village
Ruined church and St Brigid's cemetery in Castlemagner townland
Castlemagner Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°9′59″N 8°49′37″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Cork
Population  (2022)[1]	354
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1 (IST (WEST))

History

The ruined remains of Castle Magner's stair turret

The area takes its name from the eponymous Castle Magner, a Norman-era tower house which is located approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of the village itself on the eastern boundary of Castlemagner townland. Owned by a Richard Magner during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the tower house was largely destroyed in the late 16th century.^[3][4] The lands surrounding Castle Magner were confiscated during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.^[5] The castle is largely in ruin, though the stair turret and parts of the surrounding bawn wall remain.^[3]

Close to the castle is Saint Bridget's Church, a disused but largely extant Church of Ireland church.^[6] While the church itself was built in the early 19th century, the surrounding cemetery contains gravestones which are dated from the 18th century and earlier.^[7]

Holy well entrance, with 1789 inscription and carved figures

A nearby holy well, also dedicated to Saint Bridget, is covered by a carved stone surround including an 18th-century inscription and a carving, sometimes claimed to be a Sheela na gig.^[8][9][10]

Castlemagner's Roman Catholic church, which is dedicated to Saint Mary and was built c.1880, is located within the village itself.^[11] There is a shrine to Edel Quinn, a local lay missionary, within the church grounds.^[12]

Amenities

Castlemagner has a community centre building,^[13] a pub (the Castle Bar, known locally as Geoff's).^[14] The local Gaelic Athletic Association club, Castlemagner GAA, fields Gaelic football and hurling teams in the Duhallow division.^[15] The club won the Cork Junior B Hurling Championship in 2012.^[16]