Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Cawcestown in Athboy parish was church land owned by the Archbishop of Armagh in 1640, and on the property was ‘one castle and some cottages’ (Simington 1940, 218). This is a rectangular tower house with rounded NW and SE corners, and circular stairs towers at the NE and SW corners. The doorway on the E side leads into the ground floor chamber (int. dims 5.8m E-W; 4.9m N-S) with an E-W barrel-vault. The only features are double-splay lights in the E and W walls and a passage in the E wall leading to the newel stairs in the NE tower. Only the W wall survives at the first floor with a large window opening, together with the SW tower that has evidence of a newel stairs rising to the second floor, which is corbelled at the top and suggests that it was not any higher.

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: 28 June 2016

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 176/1945).

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1940 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. V: county of Meath. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.