Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on top of an E facing ridge overlooking the river Slang. Dundrum Castle is a late 16th-17th century tower house (DU022-023001-) which incorporates part of a 12th-14th-century castle exposed during excavations in 1988-91 (O'Brien 1987, 14; O' Brien 1989, 136-137). Built by Sir John de Clahull c. 1187, the earliest feature exposed is a section of fosse (Wth 7m, D 1.40m) that enclosed the top of the ridge. Finds included Leinster cooking ware, a buckle and a socketed arrowhead. Associated with this moat was a triple-slotted drawbridge with an entrance to a gatehouse extending from the drawbridge to part of the outer wall of the early castle (Wth 2m). Part of a stone-lined watercourse runs under the base of the wall and the shaft of a garderobe was revealed within the wall. (Newman Johnson 2014)

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Paul Walsh

Revised date of upload: 16 April 2015

References

Newman Johnson, D. 2014 The fort on the ridge in the marches of the Pale: Dundrum Castle, Co. Dublin. In P. Ettel, A.-M. Flambard Héricher and K. O Conor (eds), Chateau Gaillard 26. Etudes de castellogogie medieval. Chateau et frontiere, 295-303.

O'Brien, C. 1988 Dundrum castle, Dundrum. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1987: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 13-14. Bray. Wordwell.

O'Brien, E. 1989 Excavation at Dundrum Castle, Dundrum, Co. Dublin. Archaeology Ireland 3, 136-7.