Settlement cluster

The National Monuments Service's description

This record was listed in the Dublin RMP (1998) as 'Village' which refers to the medieval settlement at The Naul that was also known as the vill of Cruys or Cruicetown, named after the Cruise family. The medieval settlement was probably clustered around the castle (DU004-045002- ) and church (DU004-045004-) of Naul. The townland and parish of Naul stands in the barony of Balrothery West. In 1185 there is a reference to 'Stephen de Crues's [Cruise] vill' (McNeill 1950, 14). In 1292 after the death of Robert de Cruys of the Naul there was an inquisition into the extent of his estate which recorded that; 'there are the vill of Cruys [Cruicetown] 87 acres of arable land, held by the farmers, who yearly render 12d. an acre; their works are worth 7s. 5d. a year. The advowson of the church (DU004-045004-) of the vill of Cruys also belongs to the heirs' gift and is worth 10 marks a year' (Cal. doc. Ire. No. 1066, 467-8). The 1654-6 Civil Survey of Dublin recorded that in 1641, 'Christopher Cruse [Cruise] of Naal' an 'Irish Papist', was the owner of 250 acres of land in 'The Naal', on which stood, 'one old Castle with an old Hall covered with straw one Orchard one garden plott tenn tenem[en]ts Valued by ye Jury at one hundred & seaventy five poundes' (Simington 1945, 30). The lands of the Naul and the castle formed 'a mannor and kept Court Leet and Court Baron' (ibid.). The presence of 10 tenements in 1641 around Naul Castle (DU004-045004-), church (DU004-045004-) and mill (DU004-045002-), probably represented the medieval settlement of The Naul (An Aill / the cliff) associated with the Cruise family who built Naul Castle.

See attached Rocque's 1760 Map of County Dublin the settlement of Naul (https://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/concern/works/mg74qp03f)

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 1 February 2023

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1945 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. VII: county of Dublin. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

McNeill, C. (ed.) 1950 Calendar of Archbishop Alen's Register c. 1172-1534. Dublin. Royal Society of Antiquaries.

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

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]