Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle

The National Monuments Service's description

Just S of the confluence of the River Liffey and its tributary the Rye Water. According to Bradley et al. (1986 vol. 3, 309-311), Adam de Hereford's grants to St. Thomas' Abbey, which mention his castle of 'Hernie' or 'Ernia', can be dated to before 1212. While the original castle may have been a motte, by the time of the grants the castle had a grange and a chapel attached. Around 1252, the manor of Leixlip passed from Adam's son, Stephen, to the Pippard family. In 1302, Ralph Pippard granted all his manors in Ireland to the King, and in 1303-4, monies were spent on constructing a kitchen in the castle, building a limekiln to produce lime for works on the castle, breaking stone and cutting wood. In 1331, the King gave John de Grauntsete the custody of the manor and castle of Leixlip for ten years, but in 1336, they were given to Roger Outlaw, prior of Kilmainham, and they were probably held by the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem for more than a century, until Leixlip passed out of the Order's hands sometime between 1455 and 1479-80, when it was granted to Thomas Daniel, Lord of Rathwire. In 1496, Henry VII granted Leixlip to Gearóid Mór, 8th Earl of Kildare, but it was forfeited in 1536, after the rebellion of Silken Thomas. Subsequently it was granted to Matthew King, John Alen and William Vernon. In 1507, it was granted to Sir Nicholas White and remained in his family until the 18th c. The castle, an amalgam of several building phases is still lived in. While Guinness and Ryan (1971, 211-18) identified the pre-1700 sections as a circular tower at the NW corner with a recessed N-façade to its E, the rectangular hall behind to S, a sub-rectangular addition to the S of the hall and a rectangular building to the S of the complex, Bradley et al (1986 vol. 3, 311) contend that the only pre-1700 sections are the circular tower and rectangular hall (est. int. dims. L c. 14m E-W; Wth c. 5.5m). The E-wing dates to the mid-18th century, and further additions were made on the S in more recent times. The circular tower (int. diam. 6.7m; av. Wall T 1.2m) is of three stories and stands on a battered plinth. Modern sash have been inserted on the S, W and N sides and a chimney at NW. Adam de Hereford's grant to St. Thomas' Abbey, dated before 1212, specifically excludes the Chapel of St. Patrick in his castle of 'Hernie'. A narrow room above the main hall is called the chapel. The main staircase and the bolection mouldings of the panelling in the chapel may be late-17th c. (Bence-Jones 1978, 183)

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011

References

Bence-Jones, M. 1978 Burke's Guide to Country Houses: Volume 1 Ireland. London. Burke's Peerage Ltd.

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1986 Urban Archaeological Survey - County Kildare (4 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Guinness, D. and Ryan, W. 1971 Irish houses and castles. London. Thames and Hudson.