Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the N edge of a slight rise overlooking the deserted settlement (ME032-041----) c. 75m to the N. The parish church of Macetown (ME032-044----) is c. 50m to the SE. In the late 16th century Sir Christopher Cheevers of Ballyhealy castle, Co. Wexford (WX052-022----), who is said to have died in 1591 (Moore 1975, 4), married Anna Plunkett and acquired the estate of Macetown (Jeffrey 1979, 53). According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) Christopher Cheevers owned 290 acres at Masetown and 140 acres at Painestown in 1640, which amounted to the parish of Macetown (Simington 1940, 56).
The castle is a featureless cairn of stones with portion of what was the NW angle (dims 4.8m plus E-W; 3.2m plus N-S) of what was probably a tower house projecting through it. A mantel from a fireplace decorated with vine leaves and the arms of Plunkett and Cheever (de Noyer’s drawings, vol. 7, No. 97) is now missing. It was inscribed with the motto of the Cheevers: EN. DIEV. MA. FIAVNC in French ‘in God, my hope’ together with the names: CHRISTOFER CHEVER RMIG ET DME ANE PLVNKKET (de Noyer 1893).

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: 6 July 2016

References

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

Jeffrey, W.H. 1979 The castles of County Wexford. Typescript prepared by the Old Wexford Society, Ed. E. Culleton.

Du Noyer 1893 Macetown. [From Du Noyer's Notes.] Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland, 2, 338.

Moore, B. F. E. 1975 Kilmore and Arodstown churches and graveyards. Ríocht na Mídhe, 6, 1, 38-49.