A most interesting group of tales are attached to Lemaneagh Castle, now magnificent ruins of the great O’Brien stronghold of Lemaneagh on the edge of the Burren, between Inchiquin and Kilfenora.

Conor O’Brien, of the 1630s, built gates on the castle to shut in the people of Burren; for a road, through the stronghold, led those of the Burren into and from the unique wilderness. He would let no one pass who did not ask leave of him and his wife. One day, those of the Burren gathered, broke the gates, and forced O’Brien to promise free right of way for ever.

The castle was first recognized from 1550 when it was granted to Donough O’Brien by Murrough O’Brien of Dromoland. Donough was hanged in 1582, in Limerick on charges of rebellion. By the 1630s it had been inherited by Conor O’Brien. When Conor was mortally wounded in a skirmish an English army in 1651 and Ludlow later stayed in the castle; finding the November weather too abhorrent, he returned to Limerick. The castle was abandoned around 1705 and became a ruin with its lower windows and doors blocked to prevent access.

Conor O’Brien’s wife a formidable woman known as Maire Rua: Maire ni Mahon, ‘Maura’-or, as she is known in East Clare, ‘Maureen’ Rhue (Little Mary), or even ‘Moll Roo.’ It is said that she refused to open those Lemaneagh gates to receive her stricken husband, declaring, “We need no dead men here;” having found that he was still alive, she did nurse him until his death hours later. She was known to accompany her husband on his raids of English settlers.

Her descendants later told the story as follows, according to Thomas J. Westropp’s Folklore of Clare. English General Ireton was attacked by Conor O’Brien, who fell mortally wounded but would not surrender. His servants brought him back, nearly dead, to his wife at Lemaneagh. ‘She neither spoke nor wept,’ but shouted to them from the top of the tower,- ‘What do I want with dead men here?’ Hearing that he was still alive she nursed him tenderly till he died. Then she put on a magnificent dress, called her coach, and set off at once to Limerick, which was besieged by Ireton. At the outposts she was stopped by a sentinel, and roared, and shouted, and cursed at him until Ireton and his officers, who were at dinner, heard the noise and came out. On their asking who was the woman, she replied,- ‘I was Conor O’Brien’s wife yesterday, and his widow to-day.’ ‘He fought us yesterday. How can you prove he is dead?’ ‘I’ll marry any of your officers that asks me.’ Captain Cooper, a brave man, at once took her at her word, and they were married, so that she saved the O’Brien property for her son, Sir Donat.

Lady Chatterton’s account says that Ireton sent five of his best men, disguised as sportsmen, to shoot Conor O’Brien. One of them succeeded. Mary captured and hanged the man, called her sons and advised them to surrender to the Parliament, and set off as described above.

At home, apparently, a quarrel between the newly weds led Cooper to speak poorly of Conor O’Brien. He must have overlooked her reputation for one did not cross Red Mary, she jumped out of bed and gave him a kick in the stomach so hard that he died.

That glimpse of her wrath was familiar to those of the Burren and Lemaneagh Castle. It is said that she hung her disobedient male servants from castle tower by the neck and her maids from their hair; if that weren’t enough, it is said that she cut off their breasts.

From Cooper she went on to marry 25 husbands. Each of them for no more than a year and a day, after which it was custom that either could divorce the other. She would put her servants into each of the homes of her temporary husbands and upon their divorce, exclude them from their property. The legends continue of course, and it is said that Maureen Rhue was taken by her enemies, after herself killing each of those 25 husbands. She was imprisoned by them in a hollow tree. Her ghost has been known to haunt two fallen pillars near an earthen ring beside the road at Carnelly, near Clare Castle, known as a Druids altar.

An inscription over the gateway kept a remembrance of Conor O’Brien and his wife Mary MacMahon. Alas, the gateway was carried off from it’s home and rebuilt in a modern garden at Dromoland.