Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Enclosure
Brownstown (knocktopher By.), County Kilkenny, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Brownstown (knocktopher By.)
- County
- Kilkenny
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- SMR number
- KK019-062----
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
According to Doyle (1981) in a study of raths in the vicinity of Kilkenny City, in, 'Lower Brownstown (near Johnswell Road at Kingsland) Beside a farmyard, there is what tradition says is a rath. Very likely it is a rath but its height has been very much increased by the movement of earth away from it, and it seems that its top was levelled. It is now a semi-circular mound, about twenty yards [c. 18m] in width. So much work has been done around it that it is difficult to say what its original shape was. Apart from being rather small it differs in other ways from the raths already mentioned. It is not on a hill, it is on gently sloping ground, and is near a stream. The farmland around it is quite good'. O'Kelly (1969, 90) doesn't mention any rath in Brownstown townland. The Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of ‘The Liberties of the Citty of Kilkenny’ shows a castle (KK019-063----) depicted on a mound located in what is now the southern portion of Brownstown townland (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). It is possible that the feature noted by Doyle is the site of this castle. The precise location of this monument is unknown.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 12 October 2020
References
Doyle, J. 1981 A study of raths in the area north of Kilkenny city. National Museum of Ireland topographical files.
O'Kelly, O. 1969 (Reissue 1985) The place-names of County Kilkenny. Kilkenny.