Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a low-lying paddock S of the church at Kilsallaghan (DU011-011001-). This castle was the scene of a major engagement between the Royalists led by Lieut. General Byrne and the Parliamentarians under Sir Charles Coote in 1642 (D'Alton 1838, 391-4; Joyce 1890, 40-41; Clinton 2005, 30). Only the W end of the tower house survives (L 3.66m), incorporating a SW turret and an ivy covered NW stair turret with a portion of the ground floor. It is built of squared blocks with roughly dressed quoins and a base- batter. The SW turret (int. dims. L 2.65m; Wth 2.3m; H 2.6m) is vaulted with wickerwork centering and is entered through a short passage. The S wall extends E (T. 0.97m). At the eastern extremity of the wall are what was described in 1897 as the remains of a 'small tower or very strong doorway'. Two windows were then in evidence, the large arched example is still extant. There is a large wall-press on the NW side. The interior is lit by a slit ope in the W wall. The main chamber was vaulted with a segmental arched opening in S wall and has a featureless opening in W wall. There are traces of springing for an arch on the W wall. The remains of the stairwell in the NW turret is lit by slit opes. The recessed west wall has been re-pointed on the exterior and the window opening is on the verge of collapse. . Ivy growth and wash out of mortar an issue. The owner believes the harsh winter of 2010 had resulted in some collapse.

A 19th account of the towerhouse describes a three storey building with at least three windows in evidence in the W wall; the first floor had a circular chamber with wall presses in the N and S wall and two large windows in the N and E walls (Clinton, M.2005, 30). Today, the ground falls away sharply W (5m) of the tower indicating the possible line of a former bawn. There is an associated field system W of the tower house defined by drains and scarped banks.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 02 January 2015

References

Clinton, M. 2005 The history and archaeology of the parish of Kilsallaghan. Past, present and future. Kilsallaghan Residents Heritage Association.

Joyce, W. St. John 1890 Rambles near Dublin. Evening Telegraph Reprints No. 12, 40-41.

Dalton, J. 1838 The History of County Dublin. Dublin.