House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

The Rochfort family are associated with Kilbride since at least 1415 (Longfield 1971, 30, fn 3). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Robert Rochfort owned 328 acres at Kilbride in Moymet parish in 1640, and on the property were ‘a stone house and a mill’ (Simington 1940, 244). In 1685 Robert Longfield who was born in Wales received land grants in counties Clare, and Westmeath, while in Meath he acquired 641 acres largely in Kilbride alias Kilbridge, Kellistown (Kennastown?), Robertstown and Villonage (?) as the manor of Kilbride, where he settled. Although he forfeited the estate by supporting James II in 1689, it was restored to him in 1692 (Longfield 1971, 30-1). His son, William, or more probably his grandson, Robert, adapted the Rochfort house into a three bay, two storey and attic mansion by inserting large Georgian windows and a pediment doorway at the first floor on the E side. A large house was attached to the S in the nineteenth century.
The original N-S house (ext. dims c. 15m N-S; c. 9m E-W) has a base-batter and three barrel-vaults aligned E-W at the ground floor, but the entrance was in an attached tower with a newel stairs at the N end of the W wall which led to the first floor, while a separate entrance in the W wall led to the vaulted chambers. A single blocked light in the W wall is the only recognisable original feature on the first floor and the joists for the ceiling are set into the long E and W walls. There is a blocked light on the second floor over that on the first, where a second doorway from the stairs tower may have led to a garderobe. There was an attic with gables on the N, S and W walls.

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: 17 August 2016

References

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

Longfield, A. K. 1971 Longfields of Kilbride. Kildare Archaeological Journal, vol. 15, No. 1, 29-37.