Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - tower house
Ross (fore By.), County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ross (fore By.)
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Ross Castle
- Latest-edition OS map
- Ross Castle
- Coordinates
- 53.79614, -7.29260
- SMR number
- ME008-002----
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
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Vltoniae Orientalis Pars" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
A castle at Newcastle (58) in Killeagh parish and Fore barony is not marked on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony or parish maps (http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Thomas Neugent of Rosse owned 280 acres there in 1640 and on the premises was ‘an unroofed castle and bawn, 20 cabins and a fishing wear’ (Simington 1940, 271). It is described as ‘Ross Castle’ in gothic lettering on the 1836 and 1908 eds of the OS 6-inch map. This is a four storey restored and occupied tower house (ext. dims 8m NNE-SSW; 7m WNW-ESE) with a base-batter and parapet, but only the W half is original. There are good quoins and the windows on the W side are narrow pointed opes with chamfered jambs. It is within a subcircular enclosure (diam. c. 44-50m) defined by masonry walls that appear to be modern, and there is a modern one storey structure just NE of the tower. Archaeological testing (18E0203) by P. D. Sweetman within c. 5m to the N produced no related material (excavations.ie 2018:610).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of revision: 10 June 2016
Amended: 29 April, 2021
References
Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1940 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. V: county of Meath. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.
Nearby in the register
- Cross - Wayside crossunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.