Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - unclassified
Grangemellon, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Grangemellon
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- .Site of St. Legers Castle
- Latest-edition OS map
- St Legers Castle (Site of)
- Coordinates
- 52.95179, -6.95830
- SMR number
- KD037-011----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
A dower of 1418 mentions Grangemellon as including a weir, a rabbit warren, four messuages and a stone house, and an inventory dated 1625 mentions the 'castle, town, and lands of Grangemellon. The castle was levelled in 1840 and its gatehouse in 1971 (JKAS 1972, 100), but was described in 1892 (Weldon 1891-5, 96) as two octagonal towers flanking an archway and built in Jacobean style. In 1782 the remains consisted of the 'main building with two octagon towers with heavy pediment and cornice between and the entrance to it through a gateway which is exactly like the house' (Weldon 1891-5, 101), probably indicating the building was a fortified house. The only visible remains consist of portions of brick-faced orchard and garden walls.
Test-trenching (04E1021) of new house in vicinity produced no archaeology. 'Excavations 2004' 2007, No. 824, p.197.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
References
Weldon, A.A. 1891-5 A slight sketch of Grangemellon and the story of St. Leger's Castle. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society 1, 95-101.
Nearby in the register
- Gatehouseunder 1 mi
- Moundunder 1 mi
- Wellunder 1 mi
- Castle - motte and baileyunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.