KCLR News: Niall O'Neill on excavating at Ballymoon Castle (26th Feb 2026)

The Royal Irish Academy has allocated funding for a fresh archaeological dig on the grounds of Ballymoon Castle, just a couple of miles outside Bagenalstown. The dig, which is scheduled to get underway in late April, will be led by a local man, archaeologist Niall O'Neill and will be conducted in partnership with Carlow County Council. Previous work at Ballymoon has revealed significant activity in the surrounds of the castle in the late 16th and early 17th centuries - but as things stand, nothing is known about what went on there between 1320 and 1550. KCLR's Dermot Keyes spoke to Niall about the pending project at a site where, intriguingly, construction of the castle was never completed.