#76 Ballytarsna Castle
County Tipperary, Ireland
Late 15th Century
This is NOT an official Lego site


 One of several hundred Tower Houses that dot the Irish landscape, Ballytarsna was built by Sir William Hackett at the end of the fifteenth century. Both the Tower and the bawn (curtain) wall were built at the same time. By the sixteenth century, Ballytarsna was the principal stronghold of the Hacketts in the area. Even though the castle fell into disuse by the end of the seventeenth century, J. D. White in 1890 declared "...It would not take much to make [Ballytarsna] livable again."

Despite significant additional damage done to the castle in the twentieth century, John Carignan of Houston, Texas bought the castle and the adjacent properties in 1998. You should peruse his website [see below] for details of the fulfillment of his boyhood dream. He is restoring the castle and the bawn wall, currently just a foundation,and is already training others through his Stone & Lime Workshop at Ballytarsna how to restore the wonderful castles of Ireland and beyond.


Restoration Plans
When the Carignans move into Ballytarsna, the ground floor will be laundry
and storage, the first floor the kitchen, the second floor the living room, the
3rd floor their 3 year old son's bedroom, and the master bedroom is on
the top floor, of course.
Overall Plan
 Ground Floor plan
First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Fourth Floor Plan


Restoration Photos
These pictures of Ballytarsna were taken on June 29, 2003, during
our trip to Ireland. The battlements were to be finished and the scaffolding
gone by the end of September.
East View of the castle
with scaffolding.		 NW View with entrance.
 SW View with
garderobe chute.
Travelling companion Chris Johns,
owner John Carignan and yours truly.		 The authentic but
completely new roof.		 Reconstruction of the original
"Irish" merlons.


Photos of the Lego Model
Built February 2001
East View
 Southeast View
Westsouthwest View
Battlement View
View of Girl in Window
View of Pigsty


Build Your Own
General Lego Plan
 Top Down
 Gate Elevation
North Elevation
East Elevation
South Elevation
West Elevation



Other Ballytarsna Castle pages:
http://www.castlepreservation.com/
http://www.tipp.ie/ballytarsnaa.htm
http://www.tipp.ie/ballytarsnac.htm



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Castles created by Robert Carney
Page designed & maintained by Robert Carney