House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

In a non defensive location tucked into a fold in a hillside, sheltered by higher ground immediately to W and N, and overlooking the River Liffey c. 300m to the SW. This house is mentioned in the Civil Survey of 1654 and was then occupied by Sir Robert Meredith, a privy councillor who had been knighted by Stafford in 1633 (Healy 1982, SMR file). The poorly preserved remains of a large rectangular (ext. L c. 17m NNE-SSW; Wth c. 7m), three storey structure stand over a stone vaulted basement. A small square (int. L 2.55m; Wth 2.55m), four storied, vaulted tower projecting from the SW angle may originally have formed part of an earlier structure, possibly a tower house (KD023-034001-), and may have projected at the NW angle of a now levelled structure to the S. Of the main structure, built of rubble masonry with some brick around the surviving opes, only the S gable wall with portion of the SE angle, containing a doorway (Wth 1.3m) near the S end of the E wall, and the W sidewall with portion of the NW angle are upstanding, above a stone-vaulted basement. The scar lies of three parallel, partially collapsed vaults (orientated E-W) are visible in the W sidewall, while a fourth and a possible fifth vault at the N end are robbed out. A large brick chimney projects outward mid-way along the W sidewall, with the main fire place on the first floor, and there are traces of a large, robbed-out window towards the N end of the W sidewall at ground floor level. Upper floor levels are marked by offsets in the inner wall faces.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 06 June 2012