Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains off a by road that leads to Castlefield Manor housing estate. Knocklyon Castle was associated with Walter de Ridelesford in the medieval period. In the 16th century the castle was said to be ruinous but was, nevertheless, occupied in the 17th century by Piers Archbold, son of Richard Archbold of Kilmacud (Ball 1905, III, 29). It was subsequently converted into a dwelling house. The tower house rises to three storeys with a slated, hipped roof. The exterior has been pebble-dashed. It has a rectangular ground plan (int. dims. L 8.7m; Wth 5.6m) with angle towers in NE and SW angles that have plain slit opes. There is a spiral stairs in the SW tower. A fireplace has been inserted into the E wall at this level. Two-light windows have been inserted into the main floors. The towerhouse can also be entered through a modern opening in the SW tower. A cone-shaped roof has recently been added to the later (Handcock 1899, 95-6; Healy 1975, 1-19).

Compilde by Geraldine Stout

Date of upload: 25th April 2012

References

Healy, P. 1975a Second report on monuments and sites of archaeological interest in county Dublin. An Foras Forbartha Teoranta.

Healy, P. 1975b Third report on monuments and sites of archaeological interest in county Dublin. An Foras Forbartha, Dublin.

Handcock, W.D. 1877 (1991 ed.) The history and antiquities of Tallaght in the county of Dublin. Dublin. Anna Livia Press.