Windmill

The National Monuments Service's description

Squat tower of windmill (NIAH Reg. No. 11313005) built of randomly coursed masonry, situated on the summit of a hill measuring 556 ft. OD. with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. On the 1837 ed. OSi 6-inch map the Windmill is depicted standing in the centre of an earthwork (DU003-004001-) which is not depicted as an antiquity with a 'Drying Kiln' and 'Quarry' depicted immediately to N of the earthwork and a pathway traversing the E quadrant on a N-S axis. The earthwork enclosing the windmill was described by Morris (1939, 186) as follows; 'Around the windmill is a circular rampart 275 yards in circumference, which is older than the windmill, as the quarrying of stones for the erection of the latter cut into this rampart. This rampart is 2 feet [0.6m] high on the inside and 5 [1.5m] to 8 feet 2.4m] on the outside'. It has been suggested that this enclosure is possibly contemporaneous with the windmill and was constructed to keep cattle away from the sails of the windmill as is the case at Skerries windmill (DU005-028----) (SMR File 05/10/1995).
Upper stages missing. An external plaque reads 'This Mill was built by Edward & Mary Walsh of Boranstown anno 1736'. There is an internal plaque to east but the names were removed by pocking of the stone. Above it is another stone marked 1827. The two entrances were infilled from the base to prevent cattle lodging within the structure. The 'Windmill of Garristown' is depicted on Rocque's 1760 Map of County Dublin.

See attached section of Rocque's Map of County Dublin showing the Windmill and photographs courtesy of Kieran Campbell

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 7 March 2023

References

Rocque, J. 1760 An Actual Survey of the County of Dublin, on the same Scale, as those of Middlesex, Oxford, Berks and Buckinghamshire. Available at http://sdublincoco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e0c5595b033341dea7661e248d2e9ee9// [Accessed 21 September 2016]

Morris, H. 1939b Some places in the metrical Dindsenchus. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 69, 179-89.