Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in grounds on the N side of Howth Head overlooking Irelands Eye. A fine gatehouse *DU015-027002-) is attached by a battlemented wall to Howth Castle which incorporates in its southern range a massive three-storey tower house with corner towers. Attached to the E of this is a two storey hall of 17th century date. Classical style alterations to the central hall date from the early 18th-century when the castle was enlarged and modernised by William St. Lawrence (Bence-Jones 1988, 155-156; Dawson 1976, 122-132; Mc Cready 1893, 447). Re-rendered c.1990.

The ground floor of the tower house (L 677m, Wth 5.60m, T 1.55m) is entered off the central hall through an opening in a later partition wall that creates a corridor within the original ground floor chamber. There is a dual vault over the ground floor with an interveening wall (Wth 0.66m) that has an opening midway along (Wth 1.02m). Partial remains of a projecting angle tower with a corbelled roof survive in the NE. A spiral stairway (diam. 1.08m) in a square projecting tower off the NW angle provides access to the upper floors. The stairs have been replaced and cut across the window opes. The first floor has been re-modelled with later window opes in the S and W. The SW angle has a tower which may have originally contained a garderobe. The second floor (L8.12m, Wth 6.40m) is entered through a pointed arch doorway (Wth 0.90m). There are window opes in the E and S walls of the main chamber which contain s a corbelled recess in the SW angle tower. This is lit by a single slit loop (L 1.81, Wth 1.52m). There is a squinch in the SE corner which would have been needed to carry a corner tower at battlement level. The spiral stairs provides access to the battlement level with a wall walk connecting four projecting angle towers. A double pitched slate roof is set behind a crow-stepped crenellated parapet.

Architectural fragments have been incorporated into the surrounding buildings including a carved dragon built into the wall at the entrance to the garden and an inscribed Sixteenth-century Tablet at the entrance to stable yard N of castle (Ball 1917, 7, 8, 70, 71 Mc Cready 1893, 447).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 26 January 2015

References

McCready, Rev. C.T. 1893 Proceedings: Howth: its objects of antiquarian and general interest. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 23, 445-54.

Dawson, T. 1976 The Road To Howth. Dublin Historical Record 29, 122-32.

Bence-Jones, M. 1988 A guide to Irish country houses. London