Castle - tower house

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a level landscape c. 50m from a WSW-ENE section of the River Boyne, and on the W side of the cloister garth of Newtown Abbey (ME036-049003-). It is at least a two-storey structure (ext. dims 13.85m E-W; 9.15m N-S) that has an E-W barrel-vault, now destroyed, over the ground floor. There is a newel stairs in a projecting tower at the NE angle, and there is a fireplace in the S wall at the first floor. Archaeological supervision (E005341) of the laying of a path from the Abbey at Newtown through the Porch field (ME036-048056-) to Trim by N. Roycroft during 2021 (excavations.ie 2021:547) identified cobbled and paved surfaces in the area N of the tower house. These are from a post-medieval farmstead that seems to have been centred on this area that utilised and probably created the rectangular fields further W that are visible as low earthen banks.

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 February 2015
Amended: 10 March 2023