Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Castle - unclassified
Laracor, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Laracor
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- House in ruins of Dean Swifts Glevbe Ho.
- Latest-edition OS map
- Dean Swifts Glebe House
- Coordinates
- 53.52743, -6.78358
- SMR number
- ME036-063----
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The motte at Laracor (ME036-043----) was succeeded at some period by a castle, which is represented on the Down Survey (1656-8) maps of Moyfenrath barony and Laracor parish, for which see this web-page accessed on 09/11/2017: http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Moyfenrath&c=Meath&p=Lauracorr The terrier or commentary lists Gerald Linch of the Knock (ME043-021002-), Valerian Weisley of Dangan (ME042-009----) and Richard Linehann, an Irish papist, as the joint owners of 446 acres at Lauracorr. It describes Lauracorr as ‘..a small stone castle in repair with some cabins about it. There is near it the ruins of a chappell or church and a bridge over which the high way from Trim to Kilcock lyes likewise and under it runs the River Evernocke…’ The castle may have been built by the Linehan family, but according to the Civil Survey (1654-5) in 1640 the vicar, Mr. Bunning, had possession of the glebe including ‘a castle with a backside (Bakehouse?)’ (Simington 1940, 192).
A later occupant was Jonathan Swift when he became rector of Laracor church (ME036-044----) in 1700 until he became Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral (DU018-020069-) in 1713, and less frequently until his death in 1745. A structure is described ‘Dean Swift’s Glebe House (in Ruins)’ on the 1836 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map. The remnant of the castle survives as a conserved masonry pier (dims 2.5m E-W; 1.3m N-S; H 3.1m) which has a small projecting pier (dims 0.95m; 0.15m N-S; H 1.5m) attached on the S side. An illustration from 1847 shows it as it is today but with an external rebate c. 3m above the ground and a further rebate c. 2m higher up supporting a gable (Haworth 2006, 14-18, figs 6, 7). More than one period of building is probably represented in what was once probably a tower house.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 9 November, 2017
References
Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1940 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. V: county of Meath. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.
Haworth, R. 2009 Jonathan Swift and the Geography of Laracor. Swift Studies, No. 24, 7-26.
Nearby in the register
- Castle - motteunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Bridgeunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.