Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - unclassified
Loughmerans, County Kilkenny, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Loughmerans
- County
- Kilkenny
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.68391, -7.25938
- SMR number
- KK014-096----
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 Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On top of a high hill on the E margin of the Nore river valley, overlooking a former lake to the S. The top provides commanding views in all directions. It was known locally as the ‘Moat’. According to the field inspection report in 1987, 'the entire hill has been removed by quarrying'.
Orpen (1909, vol. 39, 320-21) in his description of seignorial manors in Kilkenny in 1247 mentions the manor of 'Locmadran' which has been equated with Loughmerans. It is possible that a seignorial castle was located in this position and that was retained in folk memory. However, Orpen states that in the documentary evidence of the 'maneria' [manor] in 1247 there is no mention of a castle (ibid.). Included in a document listing the property of the manor, called the Extent Loughmethora [Locmadran], there is, 'a bretage, grange, stable, sheep-fold on posts in bad condition and ruinous." The desmesne lands are described as poor and uncultivated' (ibid.).
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 16 June 2020
References
Orpen, G.H. 1909 Motes and Norman castles in Ossory. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 39, 313-42.
Nearby in the register
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.