The townland takes its common Irish language name (Ráth an Bharraigh or 'Rathbarry' meaning "fort of the Barrys") and its official English language name ('Castlefreke') from a large castle and estate in the area.[1] Built in the 15th century, this castle was originally associated with the Barry family and known as Rathbarry.[4] Acquired by the Freke family in the 17th century, the castle and its estate was renamed to become known as Castle Freke.[5]
The village is still commonly known as Rathbarry,[6] while the nearby townland, woods and dune system are commonly known as Castlefreke.[7][8]
Village
Rathbarry village has won several awards, including "Ireland's tidiest village" in the 1999 national Tidy Towns Competition and the overall "Ireland's best kept town" award in a 2017 all-island competition.[9][10]
To the south and west of Rathbarry village are a beach, Long Strand, and a Coillte managed woodland, Castlefreke Woods.[7][11] Behind Long Strand beach is a natural sedimentary lagoon, Kilkeran Lake, and a dunes system, Castlefreke Dunes.[7] The lake and dunes form a protected Special Area of Conservation.[8]
Castle
View on the castle Freke from one of the Castlefreke trekking routes
The large castle and estate which dominates the area was originally the site of a 15th-century tower house that was owned by the Barry family.[12]
The Freke family, who arrived in Ireland in the seventeenth century,[5] acquired a number of estates in West Cork, including the former Barry castle. In 1642, during the Eleven Years' War, the Freke family were forced to defend the castle from Confederate Irish forces during a sustained siege.[13][14]
Following an intermarriage with members of the Evans family, the combined Evans-Freke dynasty became Barons of Carbery in the early 18th century. The original 15th century tower house was damaged by fire and other events, and John Evans-Freke, 6th Baron Carbery built a new castle on the estate in 1780.[15][16] The older (Barry) fortification was incorporated into the estate's farm buildings.[13]
Following a fire in the early 20th century, Castle Freke was sold by John Evans-Freke, 10th Baron Carbery, and the estate and its lands passed to the Irish Land Commission.[17] The building was used as a military barracks during The Emergency (WWII) before being partially dismantled in the 1950s.[17] Remaining as a ruin for several decades,[5] the castle was purchased in 2005 by a descendant of the Evans-Freke family,[18] who (as of 2019) was restoring the building.[16]
The demesne is surrounded by a well-preserved wall of rubble stone which runs uninterrupted for several kilometers.[19] The ruins of two churches, one dating to at least 17th century and another to the 19th century, together with an adjacent graveyard, are located on the castle's demesne.[20][21][19]
A 30-feet cross dedicated to Baron Carbery, the highest memorial cross in Ireland, is located on a hill which is traversed by a local walking trail.[19]
^Lewis, Samuel (1837). Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Lewis. Rathbarry [..] which is situated on the southern coast, derives its name from an ancient fort, of which there are still some picturesque remains in Lord Carbery's demesne. This fortress, anciently called Rathbarry, now Castle Freke, was erected in the 15th century by Randal Oge Barry, and in 1602 was surrendered to Captain Harvey for Queen Elizabeth, according to the treaty of Kinsale
^ abc"Estate - Freke". landedestates.nuigalway.ie. Landed Estates Database. Retrieved 3 August 2020. Percy Freke of Rathbarry [Castle Freke], county Cork, purchased parts of various forfeited estates in the baronies of Muskerry, West Carbery and Ibane and Barryroe. The Freke family came to Ireland in the seventeenth century and acquired parts of the Barry estates
^"Rathbarry". filmincork.com. Retrieved 3 August 2020. Rathbarry is a tiny but beautifully kept village [..which..] is also known as Castlefreke after the nearby Gothic Mansion and Estate
^ abc"Castlefreke". coillte.ie. Coillte. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^"Castle Freke". landedestates.nuigalway.ie. Landed Estates Database. Retrieved 3 August 2020. The existing building at Castlefreke was constructed at the end of the eighteenth century, replacing an earlier castle which had belonged to the Barry family, the original owners of the estate
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